Gaston County Schools achieves record-high graduation rate

Proficiency for reading and math and academic growth are trending in the right direction  

Gaston County Schools has achieved its highest graduation rate ever – 88.8 percent, according to the preliminary results of the state testing and accountability data for the 2024-2025 academic year.  The N.C. State Board of Education and the N.C. Department of Public Instruction released the preliminary data to the public on Wednesday, September 3.

Gaston County’s graduation rate of 88.8 percent is higher (+1.1) than the state graduation rate of 87.7 percent for the Class of 2025.   

Three of Gaston County’s high schools – Gaston Early College, Gaston Early College of Medical Sciences, and Highland – have a 100 percent graduation rate, and five schools have a graduation rate that exceeds 90 percent: Cherryville, Stuart W. Cramer, East Gaston, Hunter Huss, and South Point.  Additionally, 10 schools have a higher graduation rate when compared to 2023-2024: Ashbrook, Cherryville, Stuart W. Cramer, East Gaston, Forestview, Gaston Early College, Gaston Virtual Academy, Highland, Hunter Huss, and North Gaston.  Hunter Huss (+9.3) had the most significant increase in the graduation rate when compared to the previous year, going from 81.4 percent to 90.7 percent.

When the state first calculated the four-year cohort graduation rate in 2005-2006, Gaston County’s rate was 68.1 percent.  Since the 2012-2013 school year, Gaston County has maintained a graduation rate of more than 80 percent with the previous highest rate of 88.3 percent being recorded for the Class of 2017.  The district earned rates of 88.0 percent for 2015-2016 and 2019-2020.

“We are extremely pleased with the highest-ever graduation rate for Gaston County Schools as well as having a graduation rate for the Class of 2025 that is above the state average,” stated Superintendent of Schools Morgen A. Houchard.  “High school graduation is a milestone in life, and it is our ultimate goal for all students.  We appreciate the hard work of our high schools to ensure that more seniors are crossing the graduation stage to receive a diploma.”

Called the four-year cohort graduation rate, it reflects the percentage of students who entered the ninth grade in 2021-2022 and graduated four years later in 2024-2025.  The four-year graduation rate is not the same as the dropout rate, which indicates the number of students who drop out of high school in a given year.  Some students need an extra year of high school to complete graduation requirements.  The district’s five-year cohort graduation rate is 87.0 percent, which is higher than last year’s rate of 85.9 percent.  The five-year cohort graduation rate reflects the number of students who entered the ninth grade in 2020-2021 and graduated in 2024-2025.

In addition to information about the high school graduation rate, the preliminary data released by the state provides insight on student proficiency, academic growth, and school performance grades for Gaston County Schools for the 2024-2025 academic year.

■ Student Proficiency
Students in grades 3-8 are tested in reading and math, and a science test is given in the fifth and eighth grades.  High school students take state tests in four subject areas: Math I, Math III, Biology, and English II.  Proficiency is based on the number of students scoring a Level III, IV, or V on the state tests.

▪ Gaston’s overall proficiency rate for 2024-2025 is 48.4 percent; the state rate for 2024-2025 is 55.0 percent.  The overall proficiency rate for Gaston County was 48.5 percent in 2023-2024, 50.2 percent in 2022-2023, and 48.4 percent in 2021-2022.

▪ When compared to 2023-2024, student proficiency for grades 3-8 in reading and math improved in 2024-2025; math proficiency increased overall by +2.3 and reading proficiency increased overall by +1.8.  The most significant increases in math by grade level were fourth grade (+4.6) and third grade (+3.1), and the most significant increases in reading by grade level were fourth grade (+5.0) and eighth grade (+4.5).  Gaston County improved grades 3-8 math and reading proficiency at every grade level except for third-grade reading.

▪ For 2024-2025, the state changed or “renormed” the test for science in fifth grade and eighth grade and biology without the option for students to re-test.  Across the state, proficiency scores for science and biology are lower than in previous years because of the different tests.  On the new tests, Gaston County had a science proficiency for fifth and eighth grades of 54.2 percent, and a proficiency in biology of 41.2 percent.  The lower scores for science and biology had an effect on Gaston’s overall proficiency rate for 2024-2025. 

▪ At the high school level, Math III is the subject area with an increase (+5.8) in proficiency when compared to 2023-2024; the proficiency rate declined for Math I and English II.

▪ The elementary schools with the highest student proficiency are Hawks Nest, New Hope, Belmont Central, McAdenville, North Belmont, W.A. Bess, Pinewood, and Rankin.  Pinewood (+9.4) leads the elementary schools with the most significant increase in student proficiency followed by Chapel Grove (+9.3), McAdenville (+8.3), and W.A. Bess (+6.1)

▪ The middle schools with the highest student proficiency are Cramerton and Belmont.  Stanley (+4.9) had the most significant increase in student proficiency among the middle schools.

▪ The high schools with the highest student proficiency are Highland, Gaston Early College, Gaston Early College of Medical Sciences, and South Point.  Gaston Early College (+4.3) and Gaston Early College of Medical Sciences (+4.2) had the most significant increases in student proficiency for the high schools.

■ Academic Growth
Academic growth indicates whether students achieve a year’s worth of academic progress for a year’s worth of instruction.  Growth is reported in one of three ways:  Exceeded Growth, Met Growth, or Did Not Meet Growth.  For the 2024-2025 school year, Gaston County had 36 of 51 schools (71 percent) to meet or exceed academic growth expectations, which is an increase of nine schools when compared to last year (27 of 51 schools or 53 percent in 2023-2024).

At the elementary school level, H.H Beam, Catawba Heights, Costner, Hawks Nest, Pinewood, and Sadler exceeded academic growth expectations.  Cramerton, Grier, Stanley, and York Chester exceeded expectations among the middle schools.  At the high school level, Gaston Early College, Gaston Early College of Medical Sciences, Highland, and South Point exceeded expectations.

“For the 2024-2025 year, we set three goals related to academic achievement – increase the number of students who reach grade-level proficiency, increase the number of schools that meet or exceed academic growth, and decrease the number of schools that are identified as low performing,” explained Dr. Houchard.  “Because of the attention given to academics over the past school year, we have made progress in regard to these three goals.  I am grateful for everyone’s focus on student achievement as we are beginning to see positive results.”  

Dr. Houchard added, “Our reading and math proficiency is trending in the right direction, schools are making gains on academic growth expectations, and fewer schools have been designated as low performing.  While we still have much important work to do to ensure high-quality teaching and learning in all schools, I am confident that we will see more positive results when it comes to higher academic success in Gaston County Schools.”  

■ School Performance Grades
The state uses the testing and accountability data to give school performance grades, which were assigned for the first time in 2014.  On a 15-point grading scale, a school’s performance letter grade is determined using a formula that is based only on two factors: student achievement (test scores/proficiency), which counts for 80 percent of the school performance grade, and student academic growth, which counts for 20 percent.

The school performance grade should not be interpreted as a comprehensive evaluation that indicates the quality of a school since only select criteria are used to determine the grade.  School size, diverse student population, socioeconomics, teacher experience, student learning obstacles, special programs, parental and community involvement, and other factors have an effect on a school’s performance, but are not considered in the grade.

For the 2024-2025 school year, Gaston County had 34 of 54 schools to earn an A, B, or C grade – three schools received an A grade, nine schools received a B grade, and 22 schools received a C grade.  Gaston Early College High School, Gaston Early College of Medical Sciences, and Highland School of Technology are the schools with an A grade.

When compared to the 2023-2024 year, 28 schools have a higher school performance score, which is used to assign the school performance grade.  The most significant increases (five points or higher) in school performance scores for 2024-2025 are Costner (+10), W.A. Bess (+9), Chapel Grove (+9), Kiser (+9), Pinewood (+9), Springfield (+9), Stanley (+9), H.H. Beam (+8), Hawks Nest (+7), McAdenville (+7), Grier (+6), Sadler (+6), Southwest (+6), Belmont Middle (+5), and Tryon (+5).

Once again, Highland School of Technology earned a school performance score of 100, making it among the most elite schools in the state for student achievement and academic growth.  Highland has consistently received an A school performance grade from the state.  Additionally, Highland and York Chester Middle School were the only two schools to earn a 100 score for academic growth in 2024-2025, which is an outstanding achievement. 

Thirteen schools – Ashbrook, H.H. Beam, Belmont Central, W.A. Bess, Chapel Grove, Costner, Grier, Kiser, McAdenville, Page, Sadler, Southwest, and Springfield – received a higher school performance grade when compared to 2023-2024.  Additionally, 10 schools are within three or fewer points of achieving a higher school performance grade: Belmont Middle, Bessemer City Central, Bessemer City Primary, Carr, Cherryville High, North Belmont, Pinewood, Sherwood, Tryon, and York Chester.

The test scores released by the state are preliminary results.  The results will be verified, and the official results will be a part of the district and school report cards that are compiled by the state. Click here for the N.C. Department of Public Instruction’s “Accountability Data Sets and Reports” webpage for additional information.