IFN Staff
The Mooresville Graded School District continued its climb into the upper echelon of North Carolina public school districts this fall. Based on the latest academic performance data released by N.C. State Board of Education and the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, MGSD now ranks 13th out of 115 districts. Multiple schools in the district exceeded growth expectations, and the MGSD now boasts a graduation rate of over 95 percent.
MGSD Superintendent Jason Gardner recently participated in a Q&A to discuss the district’s outstanding performance as well as efforts to continue raising the bar.
IFN: From improved test scores pretty much across the board to earning the state’s top graduation rates, MGSD has produced some stellar results in the past 12 months. Which of these achievements stands out the most for you, and what did it take to hit this milestone?
GARDNER: While there are many things to celebrate in our district, two things stand out for us. First, our student academic growth (as measured by the state) hit record numbers. What makes us particularly proud of this growth is that it was demonstrated across multiple grade levels and multiple student groups. In simple terms, the vast majority of students in MGSD grew at faster rates than their peers in N.C. over the course of the academic year. This speaks to the quality of our leaders, teachers, and support staff as well as a consistent instructional approach implemented across the district. Our teachers are constantly collaborating and sharing best practices in an effort to benefit student learning for all. Second would be the fact that MGSD yet again ranked as the top district for graduation rate. We view our graduation rate as a shared accomplishment for the entire district as every staff member K-12 plays a part in getting each student to that graduation stage. In particular, the leadership teams, counseling staff, teachers, and support staff at Mooresville High and N.F. Woods are relentless in their efforts to support our students. They consistently go above and beyond, making it their mission to remove barriers and ensure student success.
IFN: What areas are your frontline teachers, instructional facilitators and principals focusing on to ensure the district continues to build on this success?
GARDNER: While we are pleased with our results last year, we have a continuous improvement mindset that drives our work. We have worked hard over the past several years to narrow our focus and stay consistent in our work. We would rather put all of our energy into a few focused goals than do mediocre work across a multitude of goals. Doing this takes constant discipline and the ability to say “no” or “not yet” to new ideas at times. We have four priority areas identified in our strategic plan and we continue to adjust and enhance our approach to each priority. Ultimately, we believe that long-term success comes from staying the course, being focused and consistent daily, and having the ability to avoid chasing the bright shiny new idea all the time.
IFN: Are there content areas where the district has had difficulty moving the bar in terms of student achievement?
GARDNER: Third-grade reading achievement data is something we are monitoring closely. Since the state mandated the implementation of LETRS training for K-5 teachers, we have seen a shift in our instructional approach to foundational reading that aligns with the Science of Reading. We do believe that this approach is positive long term, as we are seeing increased gains once students reach fourth grade and beyond. The third-grade reading exam is a comprehension exam, and some students are still honing their foundational reading skills at eight to nine years old. We have implemented some new practices in second grade this year and believe we will see improved performance as a result. I also think it is fair to point out that the length of the exam (approximately 50 questions) is a lot for any student at that age and requires reading endurance that some 8-9 year old students have yet to develop.
IFN: MGSD appears to be very intentional about supporting its students’ individual social-emotional needs. Why is this an area of emphasis and how do you balance this important work with the need to meet academic benchmarks?
GARDNER: We understand that student needs are ever-evolving and must be addressed so that learning can take place. Coming out of the Covid-19 pandemic, our staff recognized that our students were demonstrating needs at a higher level. This caused us to prioritize social-emotional support as we know that a dysregulated student is unable to focus on academics. We recognize that higher levels of stress can put a student’s brain into “survival mode,” creating a barrier that prevents learning. We use the PBIS framework to proactively teach regulation skills, treating emotional readiness as a prerequisite for academic success rather than a distraction from it. This approach saves instructional time by reducing behavioral disruptions and helping students stay engaged in the classroom. This work is still ongoing as the needs of our students, particularly our youngest students, continue to evolve and grow.
IFN: MGSD appears to have a lower employee turnover than some other districts in the region. To what do you attribute the district’s ability to keep your best employees? MGSD has identified “recruiting, growing, and retaining talent” as one of our four strategic plan priority areas. Each school improvement plan has an individual goal focused on this priority. In addition, we have a district goal team, led by our Chief Human Resource Officer and Chief Financial Officer, that constantly monitors employee recruitment, compensation, and retention. This team, with support from our Board of Education, led the completion of a salary study which resulted in a significant investment by the district to increase the certified and classified supplement, as well as an updated salary schedule for all classified staff and athletic coaches. Our school and district leaders understand that to provide the best educational environment possible it is vital that we hire and develop talent.
IFN: What role, other than oversight, has the MGSD Board played in the district’s recent success?
GARDNER: Our strategic plan was developed in close partnership with our Board of Education who remains fully supportive of our implementation efforts. To ensure transparency and alignment, we provide the board with comprehensive updates on both individual school improvement plans and the broader district plan twice a year. The board is consistently engaged in our work, demonstrating a commitment to learning how they can best support our students and staff. This commitment is reflected in the MGSD board’s philosophy: maintain high expectations for performance while providing an equally high level of support to help us achieve those goals. In a time where public education often faces scrutiny, our board members also work tirelessly to champion not only MGSD but public education in general. While our board members each bring their own unique perspective to the table, they consistently strive to work together for the betterment of the district. This unified approach to governance is felt by our staff, students, parents, and the wider community, and I believe ultimately has a direct, positive impact on student achievement.
IFN: When you look ahead five years, what are the district’s major capital needs? Do you have a plan to pay for them?
GARDNER: We are always monitoring student enrollment trends in the district and discussing future needs. The opening of Selma Burke Middle School in 2023, along with modifying our school attendance boundary lines, has positioned us well for future growth. The growth of our partnership with Mitchell Community College has also allowed for additional high school students enrolling in courses that do not require them to be on campus 100% of the day. Our main focus right now with capital is aligned to enhancing student safety as well as major building upgrades/updates (for example: HVAC and roofing needs). We will fund this work through a blend of existing capital funds as well as funds provided by the NC Lottery. We also hope to soon work in collaboration with Iredell-Statesville Schools, Mitchell Community College, and the Economic Development Corporation to perform a long-range capital needs assessment to ensure we are prepared for long-range planning.