Pamlico County schools get recognized for improved reading and math proficiency

GREENVILLE, N.C. (WITN) - Newly released data from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction shows proficiencies across county schools have improved this past school year.

The post-pandemic era has been challenging for many schools.

However, Pamlico County schools say they set time aside for students to get personalized support from teachers to fill in the gaps from those challenging times, and it is not just the academic curriculums that saw some changes coming out of the pandemic.

Teachers became more devoted to individual students and their academic journey.

Becky Lansche, Pamlico County High School principal says, “It’s in the relationships the staff build with students, I mean we absolutely want to create a space and a place that students want to come and learn, and the reality is that students are really going to work hard for teachers that they know care about them.”

Pamlico County High School also saw a jump in their graduation rate from 86% to 94%, putting them above the state’s average rate.

The district’s mission to prepare the students the best they can before high school graduation became more achievable, from stronger relationships they built.

Crystal Dixon, director of curriculum and instruction told WITN News, “I think it really speaks to the teacher’s relationship with their students and their ability to connect, and we know we can’t teach students if they’re not here, and they’re coming because they want to be here and they know someone wants them here, so that’s been really just a big area of celebration for us.”

Students who feel the positive impact from their teachers and classrooms say it motivates them to do better in school.

Moriah Phillips, a Pamlico County high school student shared, “I feel like you feel safer in the classroom, and you feel like, if you mess up, it’s not that big of a deal because at least you know you tried.”

Pamlico County schools also say that it is the alignment in the teachers’ visions and goals in education that helps the teachers excel.

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