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District reports 35% pass rate on in‑year retests, board to consider schedule change to increase access
Summary
Cabarrus County Schools presented first‑semester retest results showing about 35% of students who retested became proficient and an aggregate +2.5 percentage‑point change; staff proposed changing high‑school early‑release final exam afternoons to full instructional days to allow same‑day remediation and afternoon retesting and will bring the change to the board for action.
Cabarrus County Schools staff briefed the board on March 2 about in‑year retesting under revised NCDPI guidance and proposed a schedule change intended to increase equitable retest access for high‑school students.
Mr. Carl Sang, who led the retesting update, said state rules allow retesting for students who score below Level 3 on EOG/EOC exams and that last May NCDPI expanded options so districts may retest during the school year. The district elected to retest during the school year for fiscal and pedagogical reasons — testing is more effective within days of the original exam and retaining students for afternoon retests avoids expensive district transportation in the summer.
Sang said fall‑semester retesting produced a 35 percent proficiency rate among students who retook exams, and raised district proficiency by approximately 2.5 percentage points overall. Participation and outcomes varied by course and schedule; early‑college sites had much higher retest participation (around 89 percent) because their schedule allowed longer windows, while many traditional high‑school students did not access retests. Sang told the board the district retested 532 high‑school students of 1,371 eligible, leaving roughly 800 eligible students who did not retest because of scheduling and transportation constraints.
To improve access this spring, district staff proposed changing several high‑school final exam days that were scheduled as early release into full instructional days (the board will consider the proposal at the upcoming business meeting). The change would keep buses running in the afternoon, allowing students who need remediation or retest opportunities to remain at school for supervised review sessions and to use district transportation home.
Board members and staff asked about family opt‑out, privacy and stigma (whether retesting would single students out), and the operational impact on seniors, graduation rehearsals and teacher planning time. Staff said parents could continue to sign students out if they preferred, that review groups can be mixed (retesters, students preparing for the next day’s exam and students making up an absence) to minimize stigma, and that many schools (including early colleges and Concord High School year‑long schedules) have used full testing windows successfully.
What’s next: the board scheduled the proposed academic calendar revision for action at its next business meeting to allow public comment and further staff detail on logistics, senior activities and implementation protocols.
(Reporting note: figures and direct quotes reported from Carl Sang and other district staff during the March 2, 2026 work session.)
