Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools had an outstanding year in 2008-2009 and much of our progress is visible in this year’s School Report Cards. The program changes and reforms we’ve undertaken are showing results: increased academic achievement, stronger teaching and learning at schools.

 Our test scores rose. We showed improvement on 24 of 25 areas tested by the End-of-Course, End-of-Grade and other assessments.

 On the reading End-of-Grade tests, the percentage of students showing proficiency (a score of Level III or IV) in grades three through eight grew almost four percent, from 55.2 percent in 2007-08 to 59 percent in 2008-09. With retests included (as the state did this year), the percentage of students showing proficiency rose to 67.3 percent. It’s worth remembering, too, that North Carolina shifted to a more rigorous reading assessment – a much-needed change – in 2007-2008.

 The news was even better in the math End-of-Grade tests in grades three through eight. The percentage of students demonstrating proficiency rose to 72 percent; with retests counted, it’s 79 percent. That’s a big jump from 2005-2006, when we had 64.3 percent of our students showing proficiency.

 Our only decline in student achievement came in writing, which fell by two percentage points to 75 percent from 77 percent a year earlier.

 In our high schools, we also showed significant improvement. The percentage of our students showing proficiency in nine assessments increased. Our EOC composite – the average of all our EOC scores – has grown 10 percent in four years, hitting 76.2 percent in 2008-2009 (from 66.2 percent in 2005-2006).

 In 2008-09, 89.6 percent of our schools met or exceeded the state’s ABC growth standard. This was higher than the 78.3 percent reported in 2007-2008, the 67.5 percent in 2006-07 and the 54.3 percent in 2005-06. In three years, we’ve grown 35.3 percent. The percentage of CMS schools that met expected or high growth in 2008-09 – 89.6 percent – exceeded the statewide amount in the same category (80.9 percent) by 8.7%.

 In 2008-09, almost 310,000 EOGs and EOCs were administered in CMS.

We are pleased with our results this year, but we are not satisfied. Significant achievement gaps continue to exist in our district (and across the country) based on ethnicity and socioeconomic status. If we are going to close these gaps, we must move ahead at an even faster rate.

 The results in this report indicate we are well positioned for success in the 2009-2010 school year.  Student achievement remains our top goal and all of us in CMS will continue to focus on helping every student learn and grow.

 Dr. Peter C. Gorman
Superintendent