and the district's graduation rate rose by almost four percentage
points in the 2009-2010 school year, according to preliminary state
data released July 19. The district had 97 schools making Adequate
Yearly Progress, as required by the federal No Child Left Behind Act,
which is 57.7 percent of all schools.
The results continued a positive upward trend in CMS since 2006 in
nearly all tested areas. Comparisons to other districts for the
209-2010 year, as well as data for academic growth at individual
schools, will not be available until the North Carolina Department of
Public Instruction releases statewide data in early August, district
officials said.
"Overall, we are pleased but not satisfied," said Dr. Peter C. Gorman,
superintendent of CMS. "We want to see the pace of improvement
accelerate even more. However, the preliminary results from the
2009-2010 year show that we are continuing to make substantial
academic progress in CMS, and that's good news."
Gorman also noted that the gains had taken place against a backdrop of
diminishing resources and staff. CMS cut $35.1 million from its
2008-2009 budget – the largest local-funding cut in the state – and
the cuts eliminated 181 teacher-level positions. There were additional
staff cuts in special areas.
Overall, CMS showed gains in math for grades three through eight, with
a composite proficiency rate of 82, an increase of three points over
the 2008-2009 school year. Reading proficiency also increased in
grades three through eight, with a composite rate of 70 percent
proficient, up three points over the 2008-2009 school year.
Science tests, given in grades five and eight, also showed an increase
in student proficiency over last year: 69 percent of students
demonstrated proficiency, up from 62 percent a year earlier. (All
scores include retests, which the state now uses in its calculations.)
For eight End-of-Course tests, given in middle and high school,
proficiency also increased. English I had a four-point increase in
proficiency; Geometry had a four-point increase. The composite rate
for the district was a three-point increase in proficiency, with the
composite score rising to 79 percent proficiency (without retests) in
2009-2010.
On the North Carolina General Writing Assessment, given in grade 10,
the proficiency rate rose one point to 76 percent proficient. Since
the test's inception in 2004-2005, CMS has increased its proficiency
rate by 26 points. Statewide comparison data is available for the
writing results, and the data shows the CMS rate is six points higher
than the state rate.
Preliminary results also indicated that the graduation rate for CMS
increased to 69.9 percent, from 66.1 percent a year earlier. On VoCATS
tests, given to students who are enrolled in Career and Technical
Education courses, the overall proficiency was 73.8, down from 79.9 a
year earlier.
The preliminary data also showed a decline in the number of schools
making Adequate Yearly Progress – a decline that CMS had anticipated.
When the state began using retests in proficiency calculations last
year, many schools saw their scores rise dramatically. This led to a
sharp rise in the AYP calculation as well. Using retests, CMS had 68.1
percent of schools making AYP last year; without retests, the rate was
36.2 percent. The 2009-2010 rate, using retests, was 57.7 percent – 97
of 168 schools.
For details on the performance of subgroups and other data, please
click here.
