Academic Achievement and School Report Cards

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.

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.  When the state first calculated the four-year cohort graduation rate in 2005-2006, Gaston County’s rate was 68.1 percent.

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 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. 

Highland School of Technology 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.

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).

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. 

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.

1. Highland School of Technology
2. (tie) Gaston Early College High School
2. (tie) Gaston Early College of Medical Sciences
4. Hawks Nest STEAM Academy
5. Cramerton Middle School
6. New Hope Elementary School
7. South Point High School
8. (tie) Belmont Central Elementary School
8. (tie) McAdenville Elementary School
10. North Belmont Elementary School
 

1. Hawks Nest STEAM Academy        
2. New Hope Elementary School        
3. (tie) Belmont Central Elementary School    
3. (tie) McAdenville Elementary School        
5. North Belmont Elementary School

1. Pinewood Elementary School           
2. Chapel Grove Elementary School       
3. McAdenville Elementary School         
4. W.A. Bess Elementary School        
5. Tryon Elementary School

1. Cramerton Middle School        
2. Belmont Middle School            
3. Stanley Middle School
4. Mount Holly Middle School
5. John Chavis Middle School

1. Stanley Middle School
2. Belmont Middle School
3. York Chester Middle School

1. Highland School of Technology
2. (tie) Gaston Early College High School
2. (tie) Gaston Early College of Medical Sciences
4. South Point High School
5. Cherryville High School

1. Gaston Early College High School
2. Gaston Early College of Medical Sciences
3. Ashbrook High School

H.H Beam Elementary School
Catawba Heights Elementary School
Costner Elementary School
Hawks Nest STEAM Academy
Pinewood Elementary School
Sadler Elementary School

Cramerton Middle School
W.P. Grier Middle School
Stanley Middle School
York Chester Middle School

Gaston Early College High School
Gaston Early College of Medical Sciences
Highland School of Technology
South Point High School

W.B. Beam Intermediate School
Belmont Central Elementary School
W.A. Bess Elementary School
Chapel Grove Elementary School
Cherryville Elementary School
Gardner Park Elementary School
Kiser Elementary School
Lowell Elementary School
McAdenville Elementary School
New Hope Elementary School
North Belmont Elementary School
Rankin Elementary School
Robinson Elementary School
Tryon Elementary School

Belmont Middle School
Bessemer City Middle School
Mount Holly Middle School
Southwest Middle School

Ashbrook High School
Cherryville High School
Stuart W. Cramer High School

Gaston Virtual Academy

A - Gaston Early College High School
A - Gaston Early College of Medical Sciences
A - Highland School of Technology

B - Belmont Central Elementary School
B - W.A. Bess Elementary School
B - Stuart W. Cramer High School
B - Cramerton Middle School
B - Hawks Nest STEAM Academy
B - McAdenville Elementary School
B - New Hope Elementary School
B - Page Primary School
B - South Point High School

Ashbrook High School
H.H. Beam Elementary School
Belmont Central Elementary School
W.A. Bess Elementary School
Chapel Grove Elementary School
Costner Elementary School
W.P. Grier Middle School
Kiser Elementary School
McAdenville Elementary School
Page Primary School
Sadler Elementary School
Southwest Middle School
Springfield Elementary School

+9 increase
Costner Elementary School
W.A. Bess Elementary School
Chapel Grove Elementary School
Kiser Elementary School
Pinewood Elementary School
Springfield Elementary School
Stanley Middle School

+8 increase
H.H. Beam Elementary School

+7 increase
Hawks Nest STEAM Academy
McAdenville Elementary School

+6 increase
W.P. Grier Middle School
Sadler Elementary School
Southwest Middle School

+5 increase
Belmont Middle School
Tryon Elementary School