Duplin schools designated low-performing district

Reading and math proficiency improves across subgroups, but seven schools’ low performance leads to district-wide designation

KENANSVILLE — Duplin County Schools has been designated a low-performing district for the 2024–25 school year, according to new state accountability results released by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. The designation comes as more than 50% of the district’s schools received a performance grade of D and did not meet expected growth. Seven schools were identified as low-performing, contributing to the district-wide classification.

Despite the overall designation, the district reported academic gains in several key areas.  District-wide, proficiency improved in reading and math for students in third through eighth grade, and all major student subgroups showed increased overall proficiency.

“I’m proud of our students and educators who have worked hard to improve these metrics,” State Superintendent of Public Instruction Maurice “Mo” Green said. “I am eager to see this data continue to improve as we work to implement our strategic plan.”

At the high school level, all four schools showed proficiency gains in NC Math 1 and NC Math 3. However, proficiency in English II declined.

Science performance in fifth and eighth grade, along with biology, decreased this year, mainly due to the implementation of the new North Carolina Standard Course of Study and updated assessments. The State Board of Education noted that these changes make comparisons to previous years’ results inequitable.

Positive trends were also noted in college and career readiness indicators. ACT and ACT WorkKeys performance improved, and progress for English Learners (ELs) increased. These gains coincided with statewide changes, including the lowering of the ACT benchmark score from 19 to 17 and a new EL exit composite score of 4.5, down from 4.8.

According to the report, growth data showed that four schools exceeded their expected growth, three met their growth targets, and six did not meet their growth targets. Performance grades for schools in the district included one B, three C’s, seven D’s and two F’s.