Catawba County Public Schools shared the following information about state accountability reports for their schools:
NEWTON, SEPTEMBER 1, 2022 — The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction’s (NCDPI)
release of student performance data today for the 2021-22 school year is the first since 2018-19
to feature all components of the state’s accountability framework, including the calculation of A-F
School Performance Grades and growth designations.
The student achievement data for the 2021-22 school year are based on analysis of all
end-of-grade (EOG) and end-of-course (EOC) tests, which are aligned to the North Carolina
Standard Course of Study in English Language Arts (Reading) and Mathematics and the Essential
Standards in Science for all public schools in North Carolina. The data provide the percentage of
students who scored at Level 3 and above (grade level proficiency), at Level 4 and above (college
and career readiness), and at each academic achievement level.
The A-F school performance grades that schools received for the 2021-22 year were affected by
the formula used to determine those grades because student performance on the state tests far
outweighs the credit schools earn for the progress students make on the same tests from one
year to the next. Eighty percent of the grade is based mainly on standardized test scores; 20
percent is for growth, measured by a statistical model that evaluates schools’ progress across
years.
Even as most schools across the state achieved at least expected growth, the A-F performance
grades of many schools were depressed by lower-than-usual percentages of students earning a
score of grade-level proficiency. With a weighting of 80 percent on the test scores and other
achievement data, as expected, the school performance grades have shifted downward,
consistent with the impact of the pandemic.
With the COVID-19 pandemic still significantly impacting students and schools last year, student
performance on the state’s end-of-grade and end-of-course exams continued to be below levels
reported for the 2018-19 year, the last full year before the pandemic disruptions that began in
March 2020. However, about seven of every ten schools statewide achieved at least expected
growth last year, as measured by the state’s yardstick for year-to-year academic gains. Catawba
County School’s results are comparable, with 19 of 28 schools meeting performance standards
with a grade of C or above. The district reports that seven schools achieved expected growth,
while six schools, Bandys High School, Bunker Hill High School, Catawba Elementary,
Challenger Early College, Jacobs Fork Middle School, and Snow Creek Elementary School,
exceeded growth, despite the challenges of COVID.
Additionally, Catawba County Schools Cohort Graduation Rate experienced a slight decline at
86.2% in 2021-22 compared to 87.1% for the 2020-21 school year, as the pandemic continued to
impact social, emotional, physical, and educational difficulties.
“The 21-22 school data is disheartening for many of our teachers and administrators in Catawba
County Schools as our staff worked extremely hard to rebound from learning loss from COVID-19
in 2020,” notes Dr. Matt Stover, Superintendent. “Unfortunately, COVID was still prevalent in our
schools and community last year, causing high rates of absence for both students and staff. The
call from my office to the community was to please keep their children home if they exhibited
symptoms of COVID-19, and they did as we asked. We issued the same directive to our staff –the
priority being able to keep our schools up and running. When students are at home sick or with
sick family, and our teachers are in the same boat, teaching and learning are disrupted. We have
28 incredible schools in Catawba County, and as you will see across the state, these letter grades
and growth ratings do not represent the engaging classrooms and learning that occurs daily.
Catawba County worked tirelessly to keep our school doors open, to keep students engaged and
parents working, and it appears we were penalized for doing so by our state. We are thankful for
our community, who have been with us every step of the way, supporting our staff and students. I
am certain that with students and teachers back consistently in the classroom, CCS will SOAR
through 2022-23, and our scores will return to excellence moving forward. My job now is to
ensure we take the lessons learned from last year and help our students and staff grow. We must
ensure our staff and students know how thankful and appreciative we are of the hard work,
passion, and drive they bring to school daily to teach and learn! Lastly, Stover notes, “if we don’t
value our educators, fewer young folks will pursue education as a profession, and our teacher
shortage will continue to grow.”
As projected earlier this year in an analysis by the Department of Public Instruction’s Office of
Learning Recovery and Acceleration, many North Carolina students will require months of
additional learning time, possibly over several years, because of disruptions forced by the
pandemic. Catawba County Schools has already begun the rebounding process with their
summer “Jump Start” program and summer learning initiatives, as well as through additional
teacher training and support. The district strategic plan further outlines strategies to accelerate
learning with a focus on resources and targeted interventions to close the gaps created by the
pandemic disruption.
About Catawba County School System:
Catawba County Schools System (CCS) is a district with a bold vision for today – and an eye toward our
future. The largest school district in Catawba, CCS is comprised of 28 schools in five geographical
attendance zones with an enrollment of approximately 15,700 students. With 16 elementary, five middle,
and five high schools, as well as an early college high school and alternative high school, CCS offers
diverse and intriguing choices that give students access to the amenities and activities of a large district
while remaining agile and responsive to evolving needs. To learn more about Catawba County Schools,
please visit www.catawbaschools.net
Source: Catawba County Schools press release
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