Pender County schools see improvement in progress results

PENDER COUNTY — Pender County is starting off the school year on a high note after receiving the results of annual progress reports. School officials are happy to report students have improved over the past year.

Pender County schools improved their Adequate Yearly Progress since last year. Seventy-one percent of the county’s schools showed improvement over last year.

Nine of the 14 schools met one-hundred percent of their target goals.

The annual testing is required by the no child left behind act.

Pender County Superintendent Allison Sholar says students scored well in reading, but math still needs improvement. While the AYP results are based on subgroups within schools, Sholar emphasizes the importance of focusing on each child.

Sholar said, “I’d rather concentrate on a child’s individual growth. We need to look at individual children even within a school and making sure each child grows at least a year in progress every single year.”

Sholar says overall, she’s proud of the results.

Superintendent Sholar plans to hold meetings throughout the school year to keep parents posted and to focus on areas that need improvement.