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Rockingham County reports 2023'024 testing gains and an 86.6% graduation rate; district outlines 2024'025 improvement plan
Summary
District presenters told the board the 2023'024 results showed a rise in graduation rate to 86.6% and mixed subject-level gains, with plans to adopt new ELA and science materials and targeted diagnostics for secondary students in 2024'025.
District staff presented the Rockingham County Schools' 2023'024 test and accountability results during the Sept. 9 board meeting, describing a mixed picture of gains in several grade bands alongside declines on some high-school indicators.
Speaker 6 told the board that district highlights included a drop in the number of low-performing schools from seven to six, and that 10 of 13 elementary schools met or exceeded growth. Third-grade proficiency increased 1.2 percentage points; fourth-grade cohort reading increased 8.4 points; fifth-grade reading increased 2 points. The district's overall graduation rate rose to 86.6%, a 2.3 percentage-point improvement over the prior year.
At the same time, the presentation noted declines on specific high-school measures: biology EOC proficiency fell by 6.7 percentage points and the ACT composite declined by 4.9 points, though other end-of-course indicators rose. The presenter emphasized cohort gains in some middle-grade subjects (for example, eighth-grade math and science improvements were cited) and described subgroup gains among male, African American and Hispanic student groups.
The presenter explained North Carolina's accountability approach uses a bell-curve distribution and noted the state superintendent had proposed changes to the accountability model (a move from an 80/20 achievement/growth split toward a potential 50/50 model); the district ran simulations showing such a change would reduce the number of low-performing schools in the district in some scenarios.
To address gaps, the district outlined 2024'025 priorities: adopt secondary ELA materials and pacing guides, prepare for new science standards and assessments, implement secondary engagement professional development, deploy diagnostic tools in ninth and tenth grades, continue early literacy interventions, and expand college- and career-ready course offerings.
Board members asked clarifying questions about the composition of the accountability score and school-by-school growth analyses; presenters said the state's standard error adjustments and cohort measures affect school-level comparisons and offered to provide follow-up detail in appendices or future meetings.
