Connect Academy

Connect Academy is a small K–12 alternative school in West End, North Carolina, serving about 283 students across all grade levels within the Moore County Schools district. The school's biggest strengths are reading and attendance. Reading proficiency runs well above both the district and state averages—for example, 4th grade reading hit 90% and 6th grade reading 96%, compared to district rates in the high 60s and state rates in the mid-50s. Chronic absenteeism is also remarkably low, hovering around 5–7% in recent years while the district sits near 19% and the state near 25%. That means students are showing up, and strong engagement shows up in middle school science too, where 8th grade proficiency has consistently exceeded state averages by wide margins. English II scores at the high school level are also a bright spot, at 86.7% versus 73.5% for the district.

Math is the area parents will want to watch closely. Results are uneven, with real challenges in 8th grade math and Math III. Eighth grade math proficiency has lagged both the district and state for several straight years, and Math III proficiency was just 44.4% compared to 67.4% for Moore County. However, not all grades struggle: 6th and 7th grade math recently came in above district averages. Graduation rates have fluctuated between the low 80s and low 90s, coming in at 84.2% most recently compared to 91.8% for the district and 88.8% statewide.

Because Connect Academy is an alternative school serving a small number of students across 13 grade levels, each tested grade may contain only 20–30 students. That means year-to-year test scores can swing noticeably based on a single class's strengths. Still, the school's literacy focus, low absenteeism, and strong science results point to a connected, engaged school community—with mathematics standing out as the clearest area for growth.