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CMS State of our Schools address held Wednesday

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools superintendent Ann Clark discussed the gains that the district has made in student performance and graduation rates in her final State of our Schools address on Wednesday.

Clark said during the event at Vance High School that CMS has the highest graduation rate in the state at 89.6 percent.

CMS also leads the state in the percentage of students meeting or exceeding growth expectations, with 86 percent. More than half, 52 percent, exceed expected growth.

“The state data from the 2015-2016 school year clearly shows us that we are traveling faster toward our proficiency goals than almost every other district in the state,” Clark said.

Clark stressed in her speech that everyone must work together to prepare students for the future. Nine CMS students spoke at the event to share their experiences in the district.

Ninth-grader Sanskriti Deva said her teachers at Phillip O. Berry Academy of Technology have helped her even beyond the classroom. Her family moved to Charlotte from a small town in India.

“I have learned in my life that education is the most powerful tool in the world,” Deva said. “In my life, teachers haven’t just taught me math or science or social studies … they taught me how to dream big and how to accomplish my dreams."

Clark also said she's proud of the way school leaders are making changes to improve diversity in schools.

She said the already approved phase one of the student assignment plan will offer families more magnet school options and gives priority to students based on socio-economic status.

Part two will look at changing boundary lines and home schools. CMS leaders are expected to vote in June to implement any changes in the fall of 2018.

“I believe that there's an incredible will in this community to do student assignment really well,” Clark said.

One of Clark’s main goals has been improving reading test scores in the district.

Channel 9 dug through the annual report last month and found that 42 percent of CMS students are not reading at grade level.

However, 1,500 students enrolled in the North Star reading mentor program did see improvements in their scores.

At the beginning of 2016, only 5 percent of third-graders were reading at grade level. By the end of the year, that number rose to 29 percent.

The report also shows that the graduation rate rose for the seventh year in a row, sitting at 89.6 percent.

The report revealed that CMS classrooms have fewer teachers with advanced degrees and that the crime rate for CMS is higher than the statewide average.

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