Cabarrus County Schools officials told the school board on Sept. 8 that students and staff recorded significant statewide gains in the new North Carolina school performance grades, including a 2.1% jump in overall proficiency and the highest district graduation rate in county history.
In a presentation to the Converge County Board of Education, district staff said 22% of the district’s schools earned an A letter grade, placing Cabarrus among the top districts statewide, and that almost half of schools achieved either an A or B.
The district’s presentation framed the results as improvements across multiple measures: achievement (weighted most heavily in the state formula), growth (20% of the formula), graduation rates, and college- and career-readiness indicators. Officials said the district’s proficiency and growth performance compared favorably with other large districts, the Charlotte-region peer group and districts with similar typologies.
District presenter Carl Sain said specific high performers included W.R. Odell Elementary and Hickory Ridge Middle, which ranked among the top schools statewide for growth. He said Northwest Cabarrus showed the largest single-school proficiency gain, a roughly 16-point increase. Sain also said every high school in the district met or exceeded growth this year for the first time.
Superintendent Dr. Kopicki credited teachers, administrators and district support staff with the gains and noted the district’s realignment last year — which moved tens of thousands of students between schools — as one factor staff analyzed when reviewing changes at individual campuses. He said the district will keep focusing on foundational literacy, eighth-grade math and Math I at the high school level, and add ACT and WorkKeys results to high-school accountability discussions.
Board members praised the results and asked for more public access to the raw data. Sain directed members to NCDPI’s accountability dashboards and said more district breakdowns will be provided during the board’s fall planning session.
District staff emphasized the results as a starting point for further work: while celebrating gains, they said they will use school improvement plans, targeted supports and curricula changes to sustain and build on progress.
Looking ahead, the district plans follow-up briefings and school-level improvement plan approvals next month and said it will continue monthly reporting to the board on related goals and supports.