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At No. 8, MGSD aims at state's leaders
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Published: November 4, 2009
The Mooresville Graded School District sits near the head of the pack statewide following the release of report cards last week from the N.C. Department of Public Instruction.
Evaluated by school and as a district, all 115 state districts were evaluated based on academic performance, school safety, teacher quality, class size, student attendance and classroom technology.
Performing better than state average in both reading and mathematics in grades three through eight – 75.6 percent in reading and 87.9 percent in math, compared with the state averages of 67.6 percent and 80 percent, respectively – the MGSD also outperformed the state in high school end-of-course testing.
Overall, the MGSD ranked eighth in the state in academic proficiency, according to local calculations compiled by the district.
Scoring 81.8 percent among students' scores at or above grade level – the district utilized an average of proficient test scores on reading and math grades three through eight and EOCs – the MGSD trailed only the Chapel Hill Carrboro, Polk County, Carteret County, Transylvania County, Watauga County, Union County and Camden County school districts.
"We calculated it locally, wanting to see how we stacked up against other districts," said Supt. Mark Edwards, noting that Iredell-Statesville Schools ranked an impressive 17th in the study.
"We've been studying the data and looking at how we can improve remediation," Edwards added. "We have the potential to be at the top of the state."
Mentioning that the state report card gives the district "a target to work toward," Edwards called the results "acknowledgment of good work done."
The MGSD's Digital Conversion Initiative put the district above the state average in "access to technology," providing 100 percent access compared to the state's percentage (99.3 percent) of classrooms connected to the Internet.
The district also scored well according to safety standards and teacher qualifications.
Only falling behind in the percentage of "highly qualified teachers" at the elementary school level, the district met or surpassed state averages in every other measure, including the percentages of fully licensed teachers, National Board Certified teachers and teachers with advanced degrees. The MGSD likewise maintained a lower-than-state-average turnover rate for the previous school year.
All schools in the district met high growth or expected growth in the 2008-09 school year as well.
For full MGSD and other district report card results, visit www.ncreportcards.org
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