For IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 4, 2024

Growth for Caldwell County Students:
NC DPI Releases 2023-2024 Accountability Report

Students in Caldwell County Schools saw gains in most grades and subjects on state tests in the 2023-2024 school year. The 2023-2024 state accountability report was presented to the NC State Board of Education today. Following the trend in North Carolina, Caldwell County students saw an increase in math in all grades from third to eighth, an increase in science in grades five and eight, and an increase in reading in third, fourth, sixth, and eighth grades.

Third grade students in 2023 2024 saw the largest increases in performance, an increase of 9 percentage points in math and an increase of 4.3 percentage points in reading. Students in grades 5 and 8 saw increases in science student achievement as well with an increase of 2.4 percentage points in grade 5 science and an increase of 2.9 percentage points in grade 8 science.

Caldwell County Schools Superintendent Don Phipps said, “I am excited by the trends reflected in our data. There was remarkable growth in many areas, and it is reassuring to see the results of hard work and focus of our teachers, support staff, and instructional leaders. We will continue to monitor student progress, throughout the school year, to identify and address needs to help our students achieve at their highest level.”

School Performance Grades continue to increase for schools in Caldwell County. The A-F School Performance Grades are based upon the academic performance of students on End of Grade or End of Course tests and academic growth. Of the 23 schools in Caldwell County, 70% earned an A, B, or C. The number of schools earning a D or F dropped to 30% from 41% in 2022-2023. Eighty percent of a school’s grade is based on student test scores and 20% of the school’s grade is growth as measured by a statistical model. Growth is reported as exceeded, met, or not met. The number of schools in Caldwell County exceeding or meeting growth increased in 2023-2024. Approximately 67% of schools in the district met or exceeded growth in 2023-2024, compared to 56.5% in 2022-2023.

The accountability model for high schools incorporates graduation rates, math course rigor, and the percent of students earning the minimum ACT score for University of North Carolina admission or percent of students achieving a Silver certificate or better on the WorkKeys assessment in addition to student test scores in math, English 2, and Biology. The graduation rate for Caldwell County increased to 85.3% in 2023-2024, up slightly from 84.2% in 2022-2023.

Accountability results for Caldwell County as well as all districts across North Carolina were released today. It is important to remember that learning happens in classrooms everyday. Phipps stated, “While these test results are widely acclaimed across the state as the measure of student, teacher, and school performance, it is important to note that a single test on a single day does not adequately capture the quality of student and teacher work in our classrooms throughout the year. That is why we prefer to rely on ongoing formative assessment to monitor progress and direct interventions based on that data. We are excited by the classroom activities and level of student engagement that we see in classrooms. There should be more than a single test score used to define achievement, success, and quality.”

Contact: Katrina McEllen, Assistant Superintendent
Email: kmcellen@caldwellschools.com
Phone: 828-728-8407 ext. 140106