2022-23 WCS Report Card Letter
PDF/Printer-Friendly Version
Friends of Wilkes County Schools,
It is with tremendous pride that I share the 2022-2023 NC School Report Card for Wilkes County Schools. As it has over the past few years, this Report Card reflects numerous areas of success and pride for our district. I hope you, as a stakeholder in our school system, take as much pride in these results as I do. As you can see, teachers and students in Wilkes County Schools continue to accomplish great things on a daily basis!
This report card not only reflects system data but is also designed to help you understand how your child's school compares statewide in multiple measures. Just like your child's report card, our system utilizes the NC School Report Card to reflect on our strengths and to identify areas for improvement. I hope this report serves as a resource for you to learn more about our school system and our individual schools.
As a school system, our report card shows multiple areas of success. Students made gains in proficiency in 4th grade reading and math at the elementary level. At the middle school level, proficiency increased in 6th grade math, 8th grade reading, and 8th grade science. Our high schools saw the percentage of students scoring proficient on end-of-course tests in Biology and English II increase. We are proud of the 13% increase in Math Ill proficiency from the previous year as well. Overall, our system ranked 21st out of 115 districts in our state based on grade level proficiency. This alone provides evidence of why I am so proud of the efforts of our students, teachers, and staff.
Our system also acknowledges room for improvement based on this report card data. Reading and math at the 3rd grade level, along with reading at the 7th grade level, reveals an opportunity for continued growth. Math I scores also showed a slight decrease in proficiency from the previous year. I know that our teachers are already focused on how these areas can improve for 2023-2024.
A source of great pride reflected on this report card is our graduation rate. It is the highest it has been in over a decade! This achievement reflects the hard work of our teachers over the past 13 years. A graduation rate is not a reflection of the high school alone, but a collaborative effort of how all teachers prepared students for future success. In my opinion, this graduation rate should be a source of pride not only for our school system, but our entire county as a whole.
While the NC School Report Card reflects numerous academic areas that we are proud of, our students are excelling in numerous areas that are not listed. Our athletic teams are experiencing success along with our numerous clubs and extra-curricular programs that promote involvement and leadership in and out of the school. Our arts programs continue to grow and flourish while showcasing our tremendously talented students across Wilkes County. Overall, students and staff in Wilkes County Schools have created a culture where students have a successful school experience both in and out of the classroom. Our goal is for this to continue for years to come!
In closing, we hope the NC School Report Card is a resource that helps you to better understand your child's school and our district. We take great pride in both. Should you have any questions we hope that you will not hesitate to reach out.
Thank you for your continued support of Wilkes County Schools.
D. Mark Byrd, Superintendent
Wilkes County Schools