Rowan-Salisbury School System Exits Low-Performing District Designation, 2025-2026 School Report Card Grades Show Academic Progress

The Rowan-Salisbury School System (RSS) today announced its 2025–2026 School Performance Grades and accountability results following the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction’s statewide release of testing and school performance data.

The results show districtwide progress in both student proficiency and academic growth. RSS has also moved out of the state’s low-performing district designation for the first time since 2018–2019.

“Our progress is the result of intentional work: investing in our educators, strengthening standards-based instruction, building a strong foundation in reading, and creating more engaging learning experiences for students,” said RSS Superintendent Dr. Kelly Withers. “These results show that our work is beginning to make a meaningful difference, but they are not the finish line. This is an early glimpse of what is possible for RSS and our students.”

Under North Carolina law, a local school administrative unit may be identified as low-performing when 50% or more of its schools are identified as low-performing schools. Low-performing schools receive a School Performance Grade of D or F and do not exceed expected academic growth.

Seven RSS schools were removed from the state’s low-performing designation, including China Grove Elementary, Hurley Elementary, Knollwood Elementary, Morgan Elementary, Overton Elementary, and West Rowan High School. As a result, the district moved out of the low-performing designation.

Progress Across RSS Schools

The 2025–2026 results reflect improvement in multiple measures of student achievement and growth.

Eight schools improved their School Performance Grade: Bostian Elementary, China Grove Elementary, Knollwood Elementary, Morgan Elementary, Overton Elementary, Rockwell Elementary, Southeast Middle, and West Rowan High.

Bostian Elementary and Rockwell Elementary each moved to a B School Performance Grade. Bostian earned its first B since 2018, while Rockwell earned a B for the first time. West Rowan High School improved to a C School Performance Grade for the first time since 2019.

Seven schools gained 10 or more School Performance Grade points: China Grove Elementary, Knollwood Elementary, Koontz Elementary, Morgan Elementary, Rockwell Elementary, Erwin Middle, and West Rowan High.

Twelve schools improved in growth status: China Grove Elementary, Hurley Elementary, Knollwood Elementary, Overton Elementary, Rockwell Elementary, Morgan Elementary, Shive Elementary, Hanford Dole Elementary, Granite Quarry Elementary, Koontz Elementary, North Rowan Elementary, and Erwin Middle School.

Five schools moved from “Not Met” growth to “Exceeded” growth: Granite Quarry Elementary, Hurley Elementary, Knollwood Elementary, Overton Elementary, and Rockwell Elementary. 

Rowan County Early College maintained both an A School Performance Grade and exceeded growth. Carson High School gained eight performance points, maintained a B School Performance Grade, and achieved 100% growth.

Renewal Starts to Show

RSS’s progress reflects more than individual programs or isolated gains. It demonstrates the value of Renewal: the ability to redesign how a public school system supports students, educators, and schools while remaining accountable for results.

As North Carolina’s first Renewal district, RSS has charter-like flexibility across every school to make decisions more individualized to its students, including decisions about curriculum, staffing, scheduling, budgeting, and instructional models. That flexibility allows the district to move beyond one-size-fits-all solutions and design approaches that respond to the distinct strengths, needs, and aspirations of each school community. 

RSS has used Renewal to connect educator learning, standards-based lesson planning, high-quality instructional materials, instructional coaching, and engaging student experiences into a stronger, more coherent system. The district’s literacy work reflects that approach: investing first in teacher knowledge and support, then aligning curriculum and classroom practice around rigorous learning for students.

“Renewal gives us the opportunity, and the responsibility, to rethink what is possible for public education,” said Withers. “It allows us to invest in our people, respond to the needs of each school, and create learning experiences that are rigorous, relevant, and engaging. These results show the early impact of that work, but they are not the destination. We are building a system that continues to learn, improve, and open more doors for every RSS student.”

Renewal is not simply flexibility for flexibility’s sake. It is a commitment to use local control with purpose: to remove barriers, empower educators, strengthen instruction, and ensure every student has a meaningful path to success in school, career, and community.

Literacy Strategy Builds Stronger Foundations, Shows Growth 

The district’s reading work is reflected in encouraging growth outcomes across elementary and middle schools.

• Every RSS elementary school met growth in overall reading.
• All but two RSS middle schools met or exceeded growth in overall reading.
• All but one RSS elementary school met or exceeded growth in mathematics.
• Across 19 tested academic areas from elementary through high school, RSS showed overall growth in 18 areas.

RSS’s reading progress reflects years of intentional work to strengthen literacy instruction, not a single program or initiative. The district invested in educator training, standards-aligned planning, high-quality instructional materials, coaching, and collaborative support.

Before implementing a comprehensive literacy curriculum, RSS strengthened foundational reading instruction through IMSE Orton-Gillingham Plus and LETRS training for K–3 teachers, exceptional children’s teachers, English learner teachers, instructional coaches, and certified reading teachers.

District leaders then identified a need to connect foundational skills to stronger vocabulary, background knowledge, comprehension, writing, and engagement with complex grade-level texts. That work led RSS to adopt Benchmark Advance, a knowledge-rich curriculum designed to help students build the skills and knowledge needed to read, think, discuss, and write with confidence.

RSS educators are focused on ensuring students have access to rigorous, grade-level learning with the support needed to succeed. Classrooms emphasize students reading, writing, discussing ideas, explaining their thinking, and engaging productively with challenging content. 

“Teachers have done the difficult and important work of strengthening instruction while continuing to meet the needs of students every day,” said Withers. “The progress in our results reflects their commitment to learning, collaboration, and the belief that every child can grow when provided rigorous instruction and the right support.”

Work Remains

RSS acknowledges there is still much work to do, but is encouraged by this progress.  In addition to the growth, five schools –  China Grove Elementary, Dole Elementary, Hurley Elementary, North Rowan Middle, and East Rowan High – were just one point away from moving up a School Performance Grade.

The district will use school-level data to target support, strengthen instruction, and accelerate learning for every student. Building on its literacy work, RSS is now sharpening its focus on mathematics through expanded use of HMH Into Math in elementary schools and the Modern Classrooms Project in middle schools.

“This is the start of real change for Rowan-Salisbury Schools,” said Withers. “We are moving beyond isolated initiatives and toward a system that learns, adapts, and improves. We are committed to giving every student a strong foundation in reading, deeper opportunities in mathematics, engaging experiences in every classroom, and the preparation they need for life, work, and community.”

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