Lenoir County reports broad gains on 2024–25 state tests; district graduation rate above state average

District curriculum and assessment leaders presented the Lenoir County Public Schools’ 2024–25 assessment results during the Oct. 8 board meeting, reporting multiple proficiency and growth gains across grade spans and a four‑year graduation rate the district said was 88%.

Presenters told the board Southeast Elementary exceeded growth and rose a letter grade; Southwood also rose a letter grade. District staff listed additional schools that met or exceeded growth benchmarks, and they highlighted increases in fourth‑ and fifth‑grade proficiency in reading and math as well as gains in grade‑5 science and in several high‑school indicators including NC Math 3 proficiency, English II, ACT composite proficiency and WorkKeys attainment.

District staff explained the state’s school performance formula: 80% proficiency and 20% growth, and they summarized ongoing discussion at the state level about changing that weight (some proposals discussed moving to a greater growth emphasis). Presenters said the district has seen steady multi‑year improvement in several measures and noted a historical comparison to scores back to 2012 for context.

Specific highlights presented by grade span directors included: improvements in third‑grade and upper elementary reading and math proficiency at several schools; middle school reading and math incremental gains at multiple sites; and pockets of lower performance tied to staffing vacancies, particularly in eighth‑grade math and science where new standards and a new assessment affected composite proficiency rates. At the high‑school level, district staff reported a district gain in Math 1 overall and singled out a 5‑percentage‑point increase at North Lenoir High School; Math 3 proficiency showed an 11.5‑point district gain for students who took the course, and the district said several high schools posted high pass rates in Math 3.

Presenters said nine schools that increased letter grades in the prior year maintained those gains this year, and they noted that the district’s graduation rate exceeded the state average for two consecutive years. Board members praised teachers and staff and emphasized that small differences in test results can hinge on a handful of students.

Curriculum staff described follow‑up steps: principals will present school improvement plans in September and again in January, targeted interventions will address middle‑school science and high‑school math gaps, and the district will continue professional development and targeted coaching models used successfully at some elementary sites.

Board members asked clarifying questions about the composition of the measures used in school grades, cohort tracking and the role of vacancies in year‑to‑year results. District staff provided those explanations during the meeting.