BY DEBBIE PAGE

The Mooresville Graded School District Board of Education reviewed progress reports on the district’s 2023-2028 Strategic Plan and examined individual School Improvement Plans that will help propel achievement of the district’s strategic goals.

The plan seeks to fill in the gaps from years of Covid shutdown learning losses and get students back to grade level or above achievement, as well as create a safe, happy, and healthy learning environment for students, retaining and growing quality staff, and nurturing relationships in the school and wider community

The district is far exceeding its “Maximize Opportunity and Achievement” (MOA) goal of improving the average growth index from -4.10 to +0.50 or greater. The system grew from -4.1 overall growth in 2022 to 4.15 in 2025, according to the NC EVAAS data report.

Another MOA goal is increasing the learning growth rate of Black, Economically Disadvantaged (ED), Exceptional Children (EC), and Hispanic student groups to be above the state average in math and English Language Arts (ELA).

Students have shown large growth swings in math achievement in the past three years. The growth rate for MGSD Black students has risen from -1.61 in 2022 to 4.68 in 2025, with ED students rising from -3.6 to 7.67, Hispanic students rising from -3.65 to 3.97, and EC students rising from -1.7 to 4.33.

In ELA, Black students growth had large positive swings, growing from -4.36 to 3.38, ED from -5.12 to 4.38, Hispanic from -2.44 to 2.8, and -3.17 to 3 in the 2022 through 2025 period.

The staff also reported that 99 percent of 2025 graduates had a plan for enrollment, enlistment, or employment after graduation. All current ninth-grade students have completed middle school with a Career Development Plan to guide their high school years.

The MOA focus areas for the 2025 -2026 school year are to continue with core curriculum implementation, use consistent interventions, continue the enrichment block, and continue career development plans. The district will also begin “Skills for the Future” implementation to help students develop the durable skills that employers desire.

MGSD will also begin its partnership with the Carnegie Foundation’s Future of High School Network, made up of 22 selected districts that will embrace a new education architecture, built on a competency-based model that prioritizes meaningful learning.

The district has not received new data for progress on its “Safe, Happy, and Healthy” goals, but in year three the district will focus on continued improvements to physical safety, SRO engagement, safety walkthroughs, conducting a reunification drill, continuing refinement of alternative learning programs for K-12 students, expand agency partnerships, and hire a social worker and clinical counselor using Opioid Grant funds.

Some of the increased safety measures being considered are adding more fencing around the high school campus and requiring student ID badges at the high school level.

Board member Kerry Pennell assured parents, that although the board may not talk about safety in public to better protect students, in closed meetings safety is often a discussion topic as the board constantly works to increase school and student security.

Chief Operations Officer Mike Royal noted that more students are coming to school with greater needs, even in the kindergarten through first grade level, so the system is refining more opportunities to meet their needs, whether relating to academic, mental health, or health concerns.

Board member Rakeem Brawley said that whether it is a student or a parent who has a substance use disorder, he hopes the district will use opioid funds to help address the situation because living in a household with addicted adults has long-term negative effects on children.

The district is making progress on its “Recruit, Retain, Grow” five-year goal of 90 percent staff retention, which has risen from 81 to 87 percent from 2022 -2025.

This year the district will continue to refine staff recruitment efforts, engage in staff and leadership development, create inclusive environments for all, and begin research and planning to find and implement more modernized recruiting systems.

The district will also continue to develop a culture of relationships. District partnerships with businesses increased from 10 to 23 in the past two years. In addition to growing these, MGSD will develop a common communication framework, a volunteer framework, provide additional training and support for families, and implement targeted community outreach events and efforts.

K-2 GRADE LEVEL

Director of Elementary Education Jemma Conley explained that students who score a level of 3 to 5 on an EOG/EOC Exam are considered proficient through their demonstrated mastery of standards for that grade level/subject.

In determining a school or district’s growth, a score of 0 is considered an average year’s growth. A score over +2.0 exceeds growth expectations, a score from +2.0 to -2.0 meets growth, and a score under -2.0 does not meet growth expectations.

K-2 reading scores were slightly down or holding steady last year, with growth occurring in kindergarten level in decoding text and in second-grade oral reading fluency.

With only one year of iReady math assessments, kindergarteners at the three elementary schools scored between 77 to 86 proficient, first grade from 53 to 71 percent proficient, and second grade at 60 to 69 percent proficient.

Parkview SIP

In its School Improvement Plan (SIP), Parkview’s second-grade teachers will enhance oral reading fluency by incorporating research-based strategies and grade-level Ready Reading materials.

Park View Elementary will also work to reduce male student office referrals by implementing structured movement in the classroom to proactively support self-regulation.

The school’s administration will also work to enhance and establish a culture of support for teachers and to increase the percentage of parents or guardians who report feeling welcomed at the school by providing multiple opportunities for families to attend events on various days, times, and locations.

Rocky River SIP

Rocky River’s SIP includes implementing the Reading Ready program that provides rigorous and grade-appropriate texts to increase second-grade students’ oral reading fluency and words read correctly.

The school will also implement a school-wide behavior support system to reduce the amount of instructional time lost due to office referral consequences.

The administration also wants to increase the perceived effectiveness of Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) among K-1 teachers by addressing common challenges and making the collaboration purposeful, actionable, and directly connected to improving teacher practice and student outcomes.

Rocky River staff will also work to build consistent, two-way communication and relationship-building opportunities between the school and rising kindergarten families.

South Elementary SIP

In South’s SIP, second-grade teachers set a goal to use research-based strategies and grade level texts from Ready Reading to improve reading fluency.

They will also work to decrease the number of students receiving minor incident reports by implementing a preventative protocol for social emotional/behaviors as a proactive approach to stop behaviors that could result in interruption of classroom instruction.

The administration will also empower educators through providing differentiated professional development pathways that honor their experience, interests, and growth areas and that foster continuous improvement in teaching and learning.

South staff will also strengthen the collaborative culture between school and families by launching a yearlong social media campaign that educates and engages parents in school events and in academic, behavior and social-emotional learning (SEL) practices used at school to foster consistency and partnership in student support.

3-5 GRADE LEVEL

Grade 3-5 overall student proficiency has fallen in grade 3 from 60 percent in 2022 to 48 percent in 2025, but at fourth- and fifth-grade levels scores have risen 7 to 10 percentage points in the past three years.

However, reading growth for the two intermediate schools rose significantly this year, with third grade at 3.34, fourth at 6.67, and fifth at 3.27.

Math proficiency rose 3 percent in third grade, 1 percent in fourth, and 6 percent in fifth. Math growth was up to 12.15 percent in fourth grade, but fifth grade fell to just .04 percent growth in 2025, compared to 3.13 percent last year.

This year was the first year of the fifth grade’s new science assessments, with students scoring 68 percent proficiency and having a 1.76 rate of growth. This is a drop of 9 percentage points in proficiency and just over 6 points in growth.

Conley explained that the new science EOG test shifted its focus to reading comprehension of science passages and applying knowledge rather than just understanding vocabulary and content as in the past.

Teachers are making adjustments in instruction and common formative assessments (CFAs) to increase their students’ proficiency and growth this year.

East Mooresville Intermediate SIP

East Mooresville Intermediate’s SIP includes increasing grade 3-5 reading proficiency by having all students read authentic, grade-level texts daily for at least 30 minutes, with scaffolding to support comprehension, fluency, and critical thinking.

The staff also wants to decrease the number of office referrals for non-instructional incidents (class changes, buses, cafeteria) by using QuaverEd during Community Meetings to promote positive decision-making, self-management, and social awareness and to ensure consistent language and strategies that carry over across school settings.

The administration will also implement and maintain a team committed to providing valuable professional development based on staff requests and needs.

To increase the percentage of parents that feel the school offers activities to meet their child’s interest, the staff will offer more accessible, interest-aligned activities and increase parent communication opportunities.

Mooresville Intermediate SIP

Mooresville Intermediate’s SIP focuses on increasing third-grade proficiency on the reading EOG test by using evidence based programs to impact students’ fluency and overall comprehension with grade-level or above text.

The staff also wants to increase students’ mutual respect for each other by creating a student advisory council consisting of two fifth-grade students per homeroom that will meet on a monthly basis to implement themed campaigns to promote respect for others.

The administration will provide professional development opportunities that enhance teachers’ abilities to implement instructional strategies that meet diverse student learning needs.

The school also will implement a structured peer observation program that encourages professional dialogue, reflection, and cross-grade collaboration among teachers. The administration will provide teachers with observation feedback forms, reflection tools, and follow-up opportunities to share takeaways during PLCs and with the entire staff.

The staff also will work to show MIS students that their community cares about their reading through ongoing classroom partnerships with community organizations, small businesses, and agencies.

To accomplish this, MIS will create and enact a volunteer program designed to link local organizations, small businesses, and agencies with individual classrooms to celebrate student reading.

6 – 8 GRADE LEVEL

Student ELA proficiency was up 6 percent in sixth grade, 5 percent in seventh grade, and 12 percent in eighth grade over 2024. Growth was up or steady at all three grades: .74 in sixth, 2.81 in seventh, and -.77 in eighth.

In math proficiency, sixth-graders were up 3 percent, seventh-graders 4 percent, and eighth-graders 13 percent. All exceeded growth, with sixth grade at 4.54, seventh grade up to 3.21, and eighth grade 6.56.

With the new science EOC test, scores were again down over last year, falling 8 percent in proficiency and -8.39 in growth.

Mooresville Middle SIP

Mooresville Middle’s SIP plans to increase overall proficiency on math and reading EOGs by Implementing a differentiated PLC structure for teachers, focusing on either unpacking standards and teacher alignment or analysis of student work and learning methods to differentiate instruction to address various student group needs.

The staff will also work to will decrease the number of students who have five or more office referrals by fully implementing and developing the behavior processes for referrals and Interventions and developing a system to track progress of mentor meetings with students who have been referred to the check in/check out program.

Teachers will also complete Academically and Intellectually Gifted (AIG) modules and complete a weekly PLC meeting scoreboard check to increase their effectiveness of teaching the school’s AIG population.

The staff also wants to decrease the number of at-risk students by creating a comprehensive, ongoing, parent communication framework that includes both conveying information and two-way interactions with parents.

Selma Burke Middle SIP

Selma Burke’s SIP focuses on increasing the school’s overall achievement grade for math and ELA by implementing and monitoring explicit instructional expectations for PLCs that include unpacking curriculum standards as well as common formative assessment administration and analysis. Teachers will also check unit activities for alignment with the EOGs.

The administration also wants to reduce the number of office referrals by implementing consistent procedural and behavioral expectations using the Capturing Kids’ Hearts (CKH) Framework and a multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS), a framework meant to support students in achieving their best possible academic and social-emotional outcomes.

The administration also plans to provide at least two differentiated professional development opportunities for staff as well as ask staff members to lead various professional development sessions.

The school also wants to reduce the risk ratio for boys by developing a research-based volunteer mentor program for regular and consistent community engagement to support and encourage them.

9-12 GRADE LEVEL

Students in grades 9-12 experienced drops in English II student proficiency (6 percent), Math I (7 percent), and Biology (7 percent) but went up 7 percent in Math III. Growth data was down in all four areas as well.

Mooresville High SIP

In its SIP, the MHS staff will work to increase proficiency on the Math 1 EOC by implementing and monitoring Math 1 fluency support through Blue Devil Block (BDB). All content teachers will implement math practice monthly during the BDB within all courses.

The staff will also focus on reducing the average weekly vape alert rate through implementation of a comprehensive vaping prevention and intervention program that includes increased supervision in high-risk areas, targeted education for students and families, and restorative re-entry supports for repeat offenders.

The school’s administration will also implement a school-wide belonging initiative that includes consistent staff recognition, structured collaboration opportunities, and intentional relationship-building activities throughout the school year.

The staff will also focus on making parents and guardians feel more welcome at MHS by participating in professional development that focuses on building inclusive practices, cultural responsiveness, and positive relationship-building skills.

Staff members will then implement at least one welcoming practice per month (greeting families at events, sending positive notes, personalized outreach, etc.).

N.F. Woods School SIP

In its SIP, N.F. Woods set a goal to increase students’ average diagnostic reading score by having all ELA teachers provide at least 30 minutes, twice weekly, for students to work on their Learning Paths reading program.

The staff also want to reduce the number of student referrals by closely monitoring all discipline referrals and implementing strategies focused on student self-reflection and the exploration of social and emotional needs contributing to repeated discipline referrals.

The school also wants to focus on improving teacher/student relationships. A different teacher will lead a PLC professional development session on building student/teacher relationships each month to provide them with new tools and methods.

The school also wants to increase the number of community partnerships aligned to the students’ post secondary planning by developing a comprehensive volunteer program to encourage community engagement.

The school will provide at least one monthly direct career exposure experience for students, such as a field trip, guest speaker, job shadowing, or obtaining or learning about a certification.