Skip To Main Content

For First Time Ever, 100% of Orange County Schools Meet or Exceed Growth in 2024-2025

Bulletin board with rocket ship at New Hope Elementary that states %22To Proficiency and Beyond%22 with strategies to help students perform their best on tests

 

ORANGE COUNTY SCHOOLS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 3, 2025
Contact: Kevin Smith, kevin.smith@orange.k12.nc.us (336) 212-0125

Orange County Schools students achieved continued and dramatic academic improvement in 2024–2025, according to data presented Wednesday, September 3, to the North Carolina State Board of Education. 

OCS IS TOP IN THE STATE as one of only three districts in North Carolina where every school met or exceeded growth!

Headlines

For the first time ever, 100 percent of OCS schools Met or Exceeded Growth for the 2024-2025 school year.For the first time since 2017, five schools earned a School Performance Grade of "B," up from three in 2023-2024.Grade-level proficiency increased by 3.5 points to 58.4% on state-mandated EOC (end-of-course) and EOG (end-of-grade) exams. This composite performance (all grades and all tested subjects) is 3.4 points above the state average (55.0%).OCS four-year cohort graduation rate increased by over seven points.

Highlights

Overall, Orange County Schools accelerated academic gains from 2023-2024. Several OCS schools made marked improvements or showed growth in 2024-2025:

  • Pathways Elementary and River Park Elementary rose from a C to a B.
  • Efland-Cheeks Global Elementary and A.L. Stanback Middle exited low-performing status and rose from a D to a C.
  • Cedar Ridge High has exceeded growth every year since 2015-16, and Orange High exceeded growth for the second consecutive year. Both comprehensive high schools earned B letter grades.
  • Pathways Elementary increased composite proficiency (all grades, all subjects) by 17 points, and Efland-Cheeks Global Elementary increased by 12 points. 
  • Efland-Cheeks Global, Hillsborough, and Pathways Elementary Schools earned their highest composite score ever (School Performance Grades began in 2013-14).
  • A.L. Stanback Middle improved from “Not Met” to “Exceeded Growth” in one school year.
  • New Hope Elementary had the highest Growth Index (8.48) among all elementary schools in the North Central Region (Triangle) and highest PK-5 in North Carolina. New Hope performed in the top 2% of all schools in the state for growth, ranking 51 out of 2,590.
  • Cedar Ridge High performed in the top 4% of all schools in the state for growth, ranking 108 out of 2,590 with a Growth Index of 6.54.
  • Out of 590 schools in the North Central Region (Triangle), New Hope Elementary ranked 19th, Cedar Ridge High 34th, Pathways Elementary 74th, A.L. Stanback Middle 82nd, and Orange High tied for 93rd based on the state-reported growth index.
  • Orange County Schools, Chatham County Schools, and the Edenton-Chowan School District all tied for first in the state for having all schools meet and exceed growth.

 

Student writes on a small erasable whiteboard %22Working hard means that you should do 110% and have fun! Don't do too much, just the right amount, but work hard!%22

 

Superintendent’s Statement

Superintendent Dr. Danielle Jones, district administrators, and principals have reviewed last year’s results, and on Monday, September 22, staff will present their findings and focus areas to the Orange County Board of Education.

Dr. Jones said, “In Orange County Schools, we are united in the belief that every single child can be successful. As we put this belief into practice consistently, we see the results in the growth and achievement of children in every OCS school.”

“With 100% of our schools meeting or exceeding growth, every one of our schools has many reasons to be proud,” Dr. Jones continued. “The consistent effort of our educators and the alignment of our resources and support are helping to set children in Orange County Schools on a path to brighter futures. We are proud of the work that we are doing. We also see where we can continue making improvements that ensure every child is supported. We will continue pursuing our shared goal for every student to graduate with all options open to them in employment, further education, or enlistment.”

 

OCS School Performance Data 2024-2025

 

School Performance Grades

School Performance Grades (SPG) are calculated according to criteria set by state statute and the North Carolina Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). 

A school’s achievement score accounts for 80%. This includes grade level proficiency, end-of-grade or end-of-course tests, and other year-end or one-time measures. Students’ academic growth accounts for 20%, based on how students perform compared to their expected performance, with prior testing results as a baseline. The final grade is based on a 15-point scale.

With a districtwide focus on growth and proficiency, a continued upward trend in grade level proficiency (GLP), improving by 3.5 percentage points to 58.4% for all tested subjects, represents the fourth consecutive year of improvement overall.

Orange County Schools significantly exceeded the state average for how many schools earned a performance grade of C or better in 2024-2025:

  • District: 92.3% of OCS schools (12 out of 13) earned a C or better. Both comprehensive high schools maintained their B rating for consecutive years. There are no F schools in Orange County Schools.
  • Statewide: Across all NC Public Schools, 68.5% of schools earned a C or better, and 31.5% earned a D (26.4%) or an F (5.1%).

 

OCS School Performance Data 2024-2025 for Growth Index

 

Students’ Expected Academic Growth 

To measure “growth,” North Carolina uses a statistical model to compare each student’s predicted test score (based on past performance) to their actual results. Schools are identified as Exceeded, Met, or Not Met based on meeting or exceeding growth targets for students on all tested subjects. 

Sign that reads %22The EOGs are here! Everyone has Outstanding Gains,%22 with focus on the initials E, O, and G
  • New Hope Elementary, Pathways Elementary, River Park Elementary, A.L. Stanback Middle, Orange Middle, Cedar Ridge High, and Orange High all exceeded growth in 2024-2025.
  • Central Elementary, Efland-Cheeks Global Elementary, Grady Brown Elementary, Gravelly Hill Middle, Hillsborough Elementary, and Partnership Academy all met growth in 2024-2025.
  • A.L. Stanback moved from “Not Met” to “Exceeded Growth,” a marked improvement in student achievement from one year to the next. 
  • Pathways Elementary and Orange Middle moved from “Met” to “Exceeded Growth” between 2023-2024 and 2024-2025. 
  • Four schools exceeded growth for consecutive years: New Hope Elementary, River Park Elementary, Cedar Ridge High, and Orange High.

Orange County Schools also far exceeded the state average for percentage of schools that Met or Exceeded annual growth targets:

  • District: For the first time ever, 100% of OCS schools (all 13 out of 13) met or exceeded growth in 2024-2025. More than half (7 out of 13, or 53.8%) exceeded growth targets.
  • Statewide: Across all NC Public Schools, 70.7% of schools met or exceeded growth, with 28.1% exceeding growth overall, and 29.3% not meeting growth.

Low-Performing Status

Under the current model, schools with grades below C that do not exceed growth are identified as low-performing. The number of OCS schools designated as low-performing decreased from five to one between 2022-2023 and 2024-2025.

Additional Success Areas in 2024-2025

Highlights in student achievement scores across the district include:

  • Student gains in reading and math accelerated for grades 3-8 overall in 2024-2025, following significant improvements in 2023-2024. Grade level proficiency overall for grades 3-8 improved 5.0 points to 59.5%; reading increased 5.7 points to 55.6%, and math composite scores increased 5.3 points to 61.4%.
  • Math 3 improved by 6.7 points to 73.7% proficiency in 2024-2025, or an increase of 21.7 points over the past two years combined.
  • English Learner (EL) progress (as measured on the WIDA ACCESS for ELLs test) also improved for a third straight year, increasing 6.4 points to 30.4% after an increase of 9.3 points in the last two years combined.

 

Student holds a sign that says %22Congratulations%22 in the hallway during a senior walk before graduation

 

Focus on Key Areas Yields Results

Having identified focus areas for 2024-2025, these results speak to ongoing continual improvement efforts in the following areas:

  • OCS performed higher than the state average in all levels of science—Grade 5 (by 2.9 points), Grade 8 (by 5.6 points), and high school biology (by 1.4 points).
  • Reading proficiency in grades 3-8 improved significantly to 55.6% as students regained ground on targets set within the district’s five-year strategic plan.
  • Math proficiency in grades 3-8 increased 5.3 points to 61.4%.
  • With an increase of 7.2 points, the four-year cohort graduation rate rebounded to 86.9% for the Class of 2025. Efforts will continue and expand to support every student to graduate with all available options in employment, education, and enlistment.
  • The percent of OCS 11th graders who scored a 19 on the ACT composite (UNC system admission minimum requirement) increased by 6 points to 50% in 2024-2025.
  • Over the last two years, the number of low-performing schools in Orange County Schools has fallen from five to three to one.
     
Students work on math at the whiteboard in CRHS


Focus Areas for the 2025-2026 School Year

To continue improving outcomes for every child in Orange County, the district will focus on the following areas:

  • OCS will provide ongoing and increasing professional development that empowers teachers to support every student, every day in every school.
  • NC Math 1 is a continuing focus area, with excitement over a new curriculum and professional development for educators, and ongoing support will be provided for students and staff.
  • Science in Grades 5 and 8, and high school biology, will continue to be a focus area with additional support for instruction and alignment to state standards.
  • While students in every school and subgroup within Orange County Schools are growing, there is a continued need to focus support for students with specific needs.
  • Achievement gaps persist in spite of increases in growth and proficiency among students in all subgroups, and this will continue to be an area of focus and professional development in 2025-2026.
     
Teachers of the Year for 2024-2025 collaborate around a sign with post-it notes and a headline that invites %22Positive Feedback%22 about pending changes to support teachers

 

Based on 2024-2025 student and school performance data, the district will continue developing strategies in these and other key areas:

  • Curriculum and Instruction: Reading, math, and science curriculum and instruction will be priority areas to expand growth and increase grade-level proficiency. Through collaboration among schools and the use of common formative assessments, schools have clearer benchmarks to monitor student progress and provide targeted support for core instruction and intervention at all levels.

  • Collaboration: School Improvement Teams continue to identify school goals, and Collaborative Teams in each school’s Professional Learning Community (PLC) continue to be trained in using each student’s individualized data for instruction and support. A District Improvement and Support Team will analyze district-level data to remove barriers, provide resources, and support school-based teams.

  • Student Support: Every child in every grade will continue to be supported in setting performance goals and tracking their own progress. Graduation plans and career development plans will guide students in goal setting. Systems of support will emphasize attendance and behavior awareness to increase the amount and quality of instructional time for all students. Using detailed data analysis, schools will target interventions to every child who is identified for support.

  • Engagement: Improving two-way communication between schools and families will empower families to help every student be successful. Expanded Family Academy sessions will inform parents about available resources and equip them with tools to support their children’s efforts every day.

Next Steps

On September 22, 2025, district staff will give a detailed presentation to the Board of Education to review recently-released performance data and outline key strategies which are already in place or being rolled out for the 2025-2026 school year.