While the recently released 2025-26 accountability report from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction offered mixed results for Clinton City Schools’ six instructional facilities, the district showed upward strides in its graduation rate.
Dr. Linda Jewell Carr, Clinton City Schools interim Curriculum & Instruction director, shared that one of the district’s most significant accomplishments was the improvement in Clinton High School’s four-year graduation rate. The rate rose from 77 percent to 85.5 percent, an increase of 8.5 percentage points in one year.
The new rate places Clinton High within 3.3 percentage points of North Carolina’s statewide graduation rate of 88.8 percent.
Dr. Carr explained that the increase reflects the collective efforts of students, families, teachers, counselors, administrators and support staff. “Keeping students on track for graduation remains a district-wide priority, and Clinton City Schools will continue strengthening academic, attendance, and student-support systems from the elementary grades through high school.”
The district also saw improvement in multiple tested subjects and grade levels,the curriculum and instruction director pointed out.
Student performance increased in third, sixth, seventh, and eighth-grade reading, as well as English II. Mathematics performance increased in third, sixth, seventh, and eighth grades and in high school Math I.
The district also achieved significant improvement in eighth-grade science, with proficiency rising from 40.9 percent in 2024-25 to 52 percent in 2025-26 — an increase of 11.1 percentage points.
“Altogether, these results demonstrate meaningful academic progress across reading, mathematics, English and science,” stressed Dr. Carr.
School Performance Scores presented a mixed but encouraging picture, explained the curriculum and instruction director.
Clinton High School recorded the district’s largest increase, moving three points from 57 in 2024-25 to 60 in 2025-26.
Sampson Middle School increased one point, moving from 47 to 48.
Sunset Avenue School experienced a slight decrease, moving from 60 to 58, but met or exceeded growth across all subgroups.
Although the scores changed, all three schools maintained their previous letter grades. Clinton High and Sunset Avenue received C grades, while Sampson Middle received a D.
No Clinton City school received an F School Performance Grade.
Under North Carolina’s feeder-school accountability model, Sunset Avenue’s School Performance Score and grade are also assigned to L.C. Kerr School and Butler Avenue School. This occurs because L.C. Kerr and Butler Avenue serve younger students who subsequently feed into the tested grade levels at Sunset Avenue. As a result, Sunset Avenue, L.C. Kerr, and Butler Avenue each received a state-reported score of 58 and a C.
North Carolina currently calculates School Performance Scores using a formula based 80% on proficiency and 20% on academic growth. It is important to recognize that a school’s change in performance points and its formal growth designation are separate measures. A school’s score may increase even if it does not meet the state’s expected-growth standard.
For 2025-26, Sunset Avenue met the state’s overall growth expectation across all subgroups. Sampson Middle and Clinton High did not meet overall expected growth, and no city school exceeded overall growth. Nevertheless, increases in several tested subjects provide evidence of academic progress and help the district identify instructional strategies upon which it can continue to build, Dr. Carr noted.
The district’s EVAAS, the Education Value-Added Assessment System, results provide further evidence of academic progress during the 2025-26 school year.
The district exceeded expected growth in fourth- and sixth-grade reading and in fifth- and seventh-grade mathematics.
Collectively, students across all tested grades also exceeded expected growth in reading. EVAAS is a sophisticated statistical tool that examines students’ testing histories and compares their progress with that of academically similar students and grade-level cohorts across the state. Its predictive analyses help educators determine whether students made more, less or approximately the amount of academic progress expected, regardless of where they began the year. These results demonstrate that city students are making particularly strong gains in reading and provide valuable information that teachers and administrators can use to strengthen instruction and support individual learners, stressed Dr. Carr.
Sampson Middle remains designated by the state as a low-performing school because it received a D and did not meet expected growth. “District leaders recognize that continued improvement is necessary. At the same time, Sampson Middle’s School Performance Score increased, science results improved significantly, and reading and mathematics are moving in a positive direction,” shared Dr. Carr.
Beyond state test scores, the district experienced a significant increase in its combined ACT and WorkKeys indicator as well, shared the curriculum and instruction director.
“English Learner progress was another major highlight,” she said. Clinton City recorded the highest English Learner progress result in the Southeast region, with a percentage significantly above the statewide result as the sixth highest EL progress rate of all public school units statewide.
Overall, the 2025-26 results show important areas of growth while providing a clear direction for continued improvement. CCS celebrates the substantial rise in the graduation rate, stronger college-and-career indicators, exceptional English Learner progress, improvements across 10 tested areas, and performance-score gains at Sampson Middle and Clinton High, shared Dr. Carr.
“At the same time, the district remains committed to increasing proficiency, accelerating academic growth, and providing the instruction and support every student needs to succeed. Test results represent an important measure of school performance, but they are one part of a much larger story — one that also includes student perseverance, educator dedication, family support, and the many accomplishments of CCS students inside and outside the classroom,” the curriculum and instruction director stressed.
“Together, we dare to pursue excellence, dream of new possibilities for every student and disrupt barriers that may stand in the way of success,” she wrote, highlighting the system’s theme of Premier Driven: Dare, Dream, Disrupt.
“This shared commitment will continue guiding our efforts as we build upon our progress and move the district forward,” Dr. Carr concluded, summarizing the efforts made by all educators in the district, and the district’s hopes for the 2026-27 school year to bring more growth in each of the five city schools.