The program, which featured student performances, began with remarks by Eric Davis, chairperson of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education. He introduced Dr. Gorman who reported on district progress.

“I’m very pleased to say that 2010 has been the strongest academic year for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools since I arrived in 2006,” said Dr. Gorman, addressing the audience. “CMS is making real, measurable progress that we can see and that others are seeing as well.”

The number of Charlotte-Mecklenburg schools making expected or high academic growth increased for the fourth year in a row, with 94.1 percent of schools meeting or exceeding the state’s expectations in 2009-2010.

The district has made strides in specific academic areas as well. Math proficiency in grades three through eight has grown 75 percent for 2010, up from 64 percent four years ago. For high school students, performance improved on the End-of-Course tests, which measures student proficiency in secondary-level subjects such as biology, algebra and history. The performance composite on all tests given has increased to 79 percent, up from 66 percent four years ago. While CMS is gaining proficiency, the district is also narrowing some gaps in achievement between subgroups of students. The district’s graduation rate rose by almost four percentage points in the 2009-2010 school year.

Click here to view the district’s progress during the 2009-2010 school year.

Gorman noted that the gains had taken place against a backdrop of diminishing resources and staff. With state and local tax revenues declining, the district has had to cut almost $150 million from its operating budget over the past two years. The Board is currently conducting a comprehensive review of CMS to find ways to reduce its operating expenses because more cuts are expected – anywhere from $50 to $100 million.

“We won’t know how much for a while, but we know it’s coming,” Dr. Gorman said. “And we’re trying to plan for it now.”

Despite a backdrop of uncertainty and budget cuts, CMS continues to improve and is gaining national recognition. CMS was a finalist this year for the Broad Prize, the largest prize given in urban education. As a finalist, the district won $250,000 in scholarships for the class of 2011.

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan visited CMS in September to see the results of the district’s Strategic Staffing Initiative, which puts strong leadership teams of principals and teachers into struggling schools. The program was also the topic of an article in the Oct. 18 issue of Newsweek magazine.

Gorman also recognized students and teachers for their outstanding achievements during his address. Among them was Druid Hills Elementary math teacher Amory Brown, who was in attendance. Brown was recognized for building relationships with his students and getting them involved in class. He helped student Demetria Jant move forward in math and she is now a seventh grader at Ranson Middle.

Dr. Gorman talked about the importance of measuring teacher effectiveness. Improving teaching and managing performance are the two key goals of Strategic Plan 2014. To do that, CMS has built teacher portals to give teachers access to data about their students.

“Access to student data can help teachers identify who needs more help and who’s ready to move ahead,” Gorman said. “We are also training teachers in how to maximize the use of such data analysis.”

He will also continue to put strong leaders in struggling schools as part of the Strategic Staffing Initiative.

This is the fifth year Dr. Gorman has addressed the community about the district’s progress. To view video of the State of Our Schools presentation, click here. A copy of Dr. Gorman's speech can be accessed here.