Belief in Every Learner Realized:
PCS Celebrates Outstanding Achievement Gains

Pitt County Schools continues to move forward with momentum, as the 2024-25 accountability results released Wednesday by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) displayed district-wide progress in student achievement, growth and graduation.

From historically-high graduation rates to substantial increases in proficiency and school performance grades, the district’s results affirm a steady upward trajectory built on the dedication of students, staff, families and the broader community.

A central point of pride for the district is that 32 of 36 schools, representing nearly 90 percent of those eligible, met or exceeded expected growth. This achievement speaks to the effectiveness of instructional strategies and the commitment of educators and students to continuous improvement. Furthermore, Belvoir, Bethel, A.G. Cox, Farmville Middle, South Greenville and Wahl-Coates exited its Low Performing Status by meeting or exceeding growth and/or earning a C or higher School Performance Grade, a testament to their remarkable turnaround efforts.

"These results are a clear reflection and testament of the hard work, focus and direction of our students, educators, families and communities," PCS Superintendent Dr. Steve M. Lassiter Jr. said. "We Still Believe in the potential of every learner, and the steady gains and record achievements across our district prove that belief is well placed.

"With nearly 90 percent of eligible schools meeting or exceeding growth and significant increases in proficiency and graduation rates, our momentum is real, and the future for Pitt County Schools has never looked brighter."

PCS students also continue to demonstrate a high level of proficiency when compared to their state peers. The district outperformed the state of North Carolina in grade-level proficiency for all subjects in 14 of 21 subgroups. The four-year graduation rate increased from 83.9% to 85.5%, marking the highest rate since 2017.

District-wide, 25 of 35 schools (excluding Sadie Saulter Pre-K Center) increased their school achievement for the 2024-2025 school year. This broad-based improvement underscores the collaborative effort of the entire PCS community.

The district’s focus on foundational literacy skills also showed positive results, with 45.1% of 3rd graders reading at or above grade level as measured by the End-of-Grade Assessment. Additionally, 28 of 34 schools with Economically Disadvantaged Student subgroups met or exceeded expected growth, a significant indicator of the district's effectiveness in supporting all students.

The student achievement data for the 2024-25 school year is based on analysis of all end-of-grade (EOG) and end-of-course (EOC) tests, which are aligned to the North Carolina Standard Course of Study in English Language Arts (Reading) and Mathematics and the Essential Standards in Science for all public schools in North Carolina.

School Performance Grades are letter grades based on a school’s achievement score (80 percent) and students’ academic growth over one year (20 percent).

Overall, of the 36 schools within Pitt County Schools that are assessed, two received an A grade; six schools received a B grade; 16 schools received a C grade and 12 received a D grade.

For the second consecutive year, there were no schools which were assessed an F performance grade.

● Schools receiving an A performance grade are: Innovation Early College High School and PCS Early College High School.
● Schools receiving a B performance grade are: Chicod School, D.H. Conley High School, Hope Middle School, Ridgewood Elementary School, G.R. Whitfield School and Wintergreen Primary/Intermediate School.
● Schools receiving a C performance grade are: Ayden-Grifton High School, Ayden Elementary School, Belvoir Elementary School, Creekside Elementary School, A.G. Cox Middle School, Eastern Elementary School, Elmhurst Elementary School, Farmville Central High School, Lakeforest Elementary School, North Pitt High School, Northwest Elementary School, Pitt County Virtual School, W.H. Robinson Elementary School, J.H. Rose High School, South Central High School and Stokes School.
● Schools receiving a D performance grade are: E.B. Aycock Middle School, Ayden Middle School, Bethel School, Sam D. Bundy/H.B. Sugg Elementary School, C.M. Eppes Middle School, Falkland Elementary School, Farmville Middle School, Grifton School, Pactolus School, South Greenville Elementary, Wahl-Coates Elementary School and Wellcome Middle School.

Data Highlights 
● Four-year graduation increased from 83.9 to 85.5 (highest since 2017).
● 88.9 percent of our schools (32 of 36) met or exceeded expected growth, with approximately 71 percent of schools in the state meeting or exceeding growth in 2024-25.  
● Belvoir, Bethel, A.G. Cox, Farmville Middle, South Greenville and Wahl-Coates exited Low Performing Status by meeting or exceeding growth and/or earning a C or higher School Performance Grade.
● PCS outperformed the state of North Carolina in grade-level proficiency for all subjects in 14 of the 21 subgroups (67 percent).
● 25 of 35 schools (Sadie not included)  increased school achievement for the 24-25 school year.
● English learners are steadily improving on the language proficiency assessment, with 36.9 percent of students demonstrating progress. This is an increase of 8.1 percentage points from the 23-24 school year and 1.7 percentage points higher than the state average.
● 45.1 percent of 3rd graders are reading at or above grade level as measured by the End-of-Grade Assessment.
● Students with Disabilities in grades 3-12 demonstrated increases in grade-level proficiency within the subject areas of Math, Reading, and Science.
● 31 of 35 (89 percent) schools with Economically Disadvantaged Student subgroups met or exceeded expected growth.
● The percent of PCS students scoring at or above grade level in Biology is 51.0%, compared to the state average of 48.3%.

For more information, please visit NCDPI's website.