Denita Dowell-Reavis
The North Carolina Board of Education approved the release of end-of-year testing today at the September 3rd regular meeting. The results show several local schools were able to achieve the goals they had been working hard to reach. Three schools, East Alexander Middle School, Hiddenite Elementary and Wittenburg Elementary raised the schools’ scores from a “D” to a “C”. Sugar Loaf Elementary was listed as a “D” school for the second year in a row.
West Alexander Middle School exceeded growth and has since 2018. (State test scores were not issued in 2020 and 2021 because of Covid). Alexander Early College has exceeded growth every year since coming back from the pandemic.
Executive Director of Curriculum and Instruction Dr. Amy Bowles says she and district leaders are incredibly proud:
“Our work doesn’t stop here. We are committed to continuous improvement as we build a legacy of excellence. Through standards-based instruction, consistent use of data to inform teaching, and implementation of our new district strategic plan and instructional framework, we are focused on providing engaging and rigorous learning experiences that prepare every child, in every classroom, for success in life beyond graduation,” says Bowles.
Heidi Hefner teaches math at WAMS and is particularly pleased with the school’s scores. Hefner says a lot of work behind the scenes affects the outcomes.
“We analyze assessment results according to standards, leverage data from quick assessments, and hold ongoing discussions with students about challenging concepts. Our goal is further to enrich our understanding of the students’ needs and pinpoint specific gaps in their knowledge,” says Hefner.
The district will continue to focus on improving performance at all schools and will get help at East through a Golden Leaf grant aimed at instructional coaching and math instruction.
East Principal Lee Swanson says, “We are excited about the progress East Middle has made through the dedication of our staff and students. This achievement marks an important step forward and validates the growth we have been working toward. Still, this is just the beginning. Our team at East is committed to chasing excellence in everything we do, and we are grateful for the continued support and trust of our community.”
This past school year, Alexander County Schools elected to retest in 3rd through 8th grade reading and math. Retesting has not been offered for Alexander County students for several years because it would have required students to be tested after school ended. This year, the state changed the testing policy, allowing students to be retested in the last ten days of school. Some grade levels and subjects saw 3-7 points in proficiency gains after the retesting.
State Comparisons
At the state level, districts also saw increases. North Carolina students achieved a three-year high in most standardized tests at the end of the 2024-25 academic year, according to the annually released test data that was presented to the State Board of Education September 3rd.
Students scored higher in 12 of 15 math and reading assessments, with only third-grade reading, English II and NC Math I trailing the 2023-24 results. The average composite score for 11th graders taking the ACT, a college readiness test, rebounded to 18.2 in 2024-25 from a slight dip of 18.1 the previous year.
State Superintendent Maurice “Mo” Green said these scores are a baseline for what’s to come.
“I’m proud of our students and educators who have worked hard to improve these metrics even as we acknowledge that our students are more than test scores,” he said. “While the progress and growth shown in these reports deserves praise, we must continue our work to promote excellence for all students. Our plan is to Achieve Educational Excellence – for every child in North Carolina and to have the best public schools in the nation. I am eager to see this data continue to improve as we work to implement our strategic plan.”
School Performance grades continue to show an increase of schools earning an A, B or C, while the number of schools earning a D or F declined by nearly two percentage points. Approximately 71% of schools met or exceeded growth in 2024-25. As a result, nearly 50 fewer schools were designated as low performing in 2024-25 compared to the previous year. There were also 60 fewer schools designated continually low performing in the same span.
For this past year, schools in the Western part of the state that missed multiple days due to Hurricane Helene did not have the fall scores counted as part of the school performance grade.
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Note: NCDPI Press Office contributed to this article