Connect Academy

Connect Academy is an alternative public virtual school located in West End, North Carolina, serving grades K-12 with a total enrollment of 302 students. It is part of the Moore County Schools district, which is ranked 58th out of 242 districts in the state and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Connect Academy has consistently high four-year graduation rates, ranging from 84.2% to 89.8% over the past three school years, which is generally higher than the state average graduation rate. However, the school's performance on state assessments is mixed compared to the district and state averages. In mathematics, Connect Academy's proficiency rates are lower than the district and state in most grade levels, while in reading and science, the school's proficiency rates are generally higher, particularly in the upper grades. Connect Academy serves a relatively high percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 40.4% to 43.59% over the past two school years, which is higher than the district and state averages.

Interestingly, the nearby STARS Charter School, located about 11 miles away, has significantly higher proficiency rates in both mathematics and reading across all grade levels compared to Connect Academy and the state averages. This suggests that the instructional approaches or resources at STARS Charter may be more effective in supporting student learning, particularly in mathematics. As a result, Connect Academy could focus on strengthening its mathematics instruction and support, as well as exploring best practices from higher-performing schools like STARS Charter to improve academic outcomes for its students.