Cabarrus County Schools reported gains across multiple statewide performance measures at the board's Sept. 8 work session, with district staff saying the system outperformed statewide averages and posted the highest graduation rate in district history.
Dr. Carl Sain, the district presenter on accountability data, told the board that “we continue to outperform the state with higher letter grades on average” and that nearly one-quarter of Cabarrus schools received a letter A this year. The district also showed a 2.1 percentage-point jump in overall proficiency and a 91.7% graduation rate — which Sain described as “the highest in Cabarrus County School's history.”
Those outcomes follow a year of district initiatives Sain and Superintendent Dr. Kopicki credited to district staff and teachers. “Cabarrus County should feel very satisfied,” Kopicki said, praising teachers, support staff and families for the results.
Why it matters: statewide A–F school performance grades and growth metrics are used by North Carolina officials to compare districts and allocate attention and support; improvement can affect community perceptions, school improvement planning and district communications.
Key facts and figures: the district reported 41 schools in the dataset, with nine earning an A (about 22% of schools) and roughly half of schools earning an A or B. Sain said 34 of 41 schools either scored the same or increased their numeric school performance score; he listed individual winners including WR Odell Elementary and Hickory Ridge schools for large growth metrics. He also said nearly half of district schools exceeded growth, placing Cabarrus among the top dozen districts on that measure.
Board members asked how the district will sustain improvement. Kopicki and Sain said the district approaches improvement as continuous work, noting summer leadership conferences, data reviews, “guaranteed viable curriculum” adoptions and targeted supports for elementary literacy, eighth-grade math and high-school Math I and ACT/WorkKeys measures. Teacher of the Year Madison Widdle, who spoke during the meeting, said benchmark data “allow us to make sure that we're tailoring instruction and making adaptations” for students with disabilities.
What’s next: staff said school-by-school improvement plans for 2025–26 will come before the board in October and that district leadership will continue monthly and quarterly reviews of benchmarks and supports.