State education officials have identified 31 schools across southeastern North Carolina as low-performing in a recent annual report. The list includes schools in Bladen, Brunswick, Columbus, New Hanover, and Pender counties, prompting district leaders to outline immediate plans for improvement.
The designation is based on a state-mandated grading system that evaluates academic achievement and student progress. Schools receiving a grade of "D" or "F" are required to develop and submit comprehensive improvement plans to the state by early December.
Key Takeaways
- A total of 31 schools in southeastern North Carolina have been labeled as low-performing.
- New Hanover County saw its number of designated schools increase from 6 to 10.
- The state's grading formula is heavily weighted on student test scores (80%) and student growth (20%).
- All affected schools must submit a formal improvement plan to the state by December 6.
Understanding the State's Grading System
The school performance grades, ranging from A to F, are calculated using a specific two-part formula set by the state. This system is designed to provide a snapshot of a school's effectiveness based on standardized metrics.
How Grades Are Calculated
80% of the grade comes from the school's achievement score. This primarily reflects student performance on end-of-grade and end-of-course tests. The remaining 20% is based on a school's growth score, which measures the academic progress students made over the course of the previous school year, regardless of their starting proficiency level.
A school is officially designated as low-performing if it receives an overall grade of D or F. This designation triggers a requirement for the school to create a detailed plan aimed at reversing the trend and improving student outcomes.
A Look at the Regional Numbers
The impact of the new report varies significantly across the region's five counties. Some districts saw an increase in the number of low-performing schools, while others showed notable improvement.
Here is a breakdown of the number of designated schools in each county:
- Bladen County: 8 schools
- Brunswick County: 5 schools
- Columbus County: 5 schools
- New Hanover County: 10 schools
- Pender County: 3 schools
The most significant change occurred in New Hanover County, where the number of schools on the list nearly doubled from six last year to ten this year. In contrast, Pender County successfully reduced its number of low-performing schools by half, down from six in the previous report.
District Leaders Address the Results
Superintendents from the affected districts are now tasked with addressing the scores and implementing corrective actions. They point to a range of factors contributing to the results, from staffing challenges to the ongoing work of academic recovery.
New Hanover County's Perspective
In New Hanover County, Superintendent Dr. Christopher Barnes connected the performance drop to significant staffing cuts. The district lost over 300 positions, which he suggests had a tangible impact on classroom instruction and student support.
"I'm never gonna say that an overall proficiency drop is something that the school wants to see, it is fairly understandable based on the number of staff that we lost," Dr. Barnes stated.
The district is now focused on a multi-pronged strategy to boost performance. Key areas of focus include increasing student attendance, reducing classroom disruptions, and improving proficiency scores in core subjects like math and reading. Dr. Barnes also emphasized a commitment to transparency with the community moving forward.
Pender County's Mixed Emotions
Pender County Superintendent Dr. Brad Breedlove described the results as a source of "mixed emotions." While celebrating the schools that successfully exited the low-performing list, he acknowledged the work that remains for the three schools still designated.
"It’s a bottle of mixed emotions and we certainly want to celebrate the schools that exited the list, but also continue to work with and celebrate, support those that didn’t," said Dr. Breedlove.
Pender County's improvement strategy involves doubling down on foundational elements, such as recruiting and retaining high-quality teachers and strengthening instruction in core academic subjects.
The Path to Improvement
For all 31 schools, the immediate next step is the creation of a formal improvement plan. These documents must detail the specific, actionable steps each school will take to raise student achievement and earn a higher performance grade in the future.
What's in an Improvement Plan?
Improvement plans typically include targeted strategies for professional development for teachers, new instructional programs, increased parent and community engagement, and systems for closely monitoring student data to provide timely interventions.
These plans are not just internal documents; they must be submitted to state education officials for review and approval. The deadline for submission is December 6. The success of these plans will be critical in determining whether these schools can reverse their low-performing status in the next academic year, a goal every district leader is now focused on achieving.