CCS Releases ABCs of Public Education Data

Cabarrus County Schools reported an 86.3 percent four-year graduation cohort rate for the 2011-2012 school year, according to data released by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.

This data reflects the percentage of students who began as freshmen in the 2008-2009 school year and graduated in four years.

The results show a 2.3 percent increase in the CCS four-year graduation cohort rate compared to last year. This year's CCS rate is 6.1 percent higher than the state average.

CCS has not reduced the number of credits required for students to graduate. See the chart below for a look at the cohort rate comparisons for the past four years.

Four-Year Graduation Cohort Rate Comparisons

In other news released by the Department of Public Instruction, CCS students showed progress in proficiency between the 2010-2011 and 2011-2012 school years.

Ninety six percent (96.4%) of all CCS schools met their Annual Measurable Objectives (AMOs). AMOs is defined as a series of performance targets that states, school districts and specific subgroups within their schools must achieve each year to meet the requirements of No Child Left Behind (NCLB).  AMOs are the measures put in place as a result of the flexibility waiver request from some of the requirements of No Child Left Behind.

Twenty seven of the district's schools achieved either Expected Growth or High Growth academic standards for the 2011-2012 school year.

Five CCS schools were designated Honor Schools of Excellence; nine were designated Schools of Distinction; and twelve schools received Schools of Progress designations.

A closer look at the ABCs growth data for Cabarrus County Schools shows:

• 27 schools met Expected Growth standards for the 2011-2012 school year  

• 11 schools met High Growth standards for the 2011-2012 school year

A closer look at ABC designations reflects there are:

• 5 Honor Schools of Excellence - Cabarrus-Kannapolis Early College High School, Cox Mill Elementary School, Cox Mill High School and Hickory Ridge High School(fourth consecutive year achieving this designation), and J.N. Fries Middle School

In order for a school to receive the Honor School of Excellence designation, it must have had more than 90 percent of its students achieve a Level III proficiency rating on the end-of-course or end-of-grade tests; and it must have made Expected Growth and have met Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP).

• 9  Schools of Distinction - Bethel Elementary School, Central Cabarrus High School, Charles E. Boger Elementary School, Harrisburg Elementary School, Harris Road Middle School, Hickory Ridge Middle School, Mount Pleasant Elementary School, Mount Pleasant High School, Mount Pleasant Middle School
  

Schools of Distinction are schools that made at least Expected Growth and had at least 80 percent of their students score at or above Achievement Level III on end-of-grade or end-of-course tests.

• 12 Schools of Progress - A.T. Allen Elementary School, Beverly Hills Elementary School, C.C. Griffin Middle School, Concord High School, Concord Middle School, Harold E. Winkler Middle School, Jay M. Robinson High School, Northwest Cabarrus High School, Northwest Cabarrus Middle School, R. Brown McAllister Elementary School, Weddington Hills Elementary School, Winecoff Elementary School  

Schools of Progress are schools that made at least Expected Growth and had at least 60 percent of their students score at or above Achievement Level III on end-of-grade or end-of course tests.

• Based on ABC provisions, 10 schools received No Recognition designations. Under the provisions, these schools did not meet Expected Growth; however, between 60 and 89 percent of their students scored at or above Achievement Level III on end-of-grade or end-of-courses tests. The 10 CCS schools in this category are:  Cabarrus County Opportunity School, Carl A. Furr Elementary School, Coltrane-Webb Elementary School, Long School, Patriots Elementary School, Pitts School Road Elementary School, Rocky River Elementary School W.M. Irvin Elementary School, W.R. Odel Elementary School and Wolf Meadow Elementary School.
  
  
• 1 Priority School - Royal Oaks Elementary School

Priority Schools are schools that had less than 60 percent of their students score at or above Achievement Level III, regardless of making Expected Growth standards.

The State Board of Education also affirmed the AMO data for the 2011-2012 school year on August 2nd.

For more information about ABCs and AMOs, you can visit the N.C. Department of Public Instruction's website at:  http://www.ncpublicschools.org/ .