Superintendent Denied Charter School Growth Score Request
North Carolina education officials refused to recalculate growth index scores following a methodology change.
Updated on Oct. 8, 2026 in Secondary Education
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North Carolina Superintendent Mo Green has declined a request from charter school leaders to recalculate state test growth scores after a change in policy. The Department of Public Instruction recently removed summer school retest data from the growth index calculation, sparking concerns among schools that experienced significant point declines.
Why it matters
The dispute centers on how schools are graded for student progress, as the removal of specific retest data significantly impacted the performance index of dozens of institutions. Officials maintain that the EVAAS growth model was applied correctly and that granting exceptions would necessitate a comprehensive statewide reconsideration.
Thirteen charter schools and 15 Title I schools saw growth index drops of 8 or more points this year. The drop includes a 13.73 point decline at Henderson Collegiate, while Sugar Creek Charter School previously held a 98.2 growth index in 2025.
The players
Mo Green
He is the Superintendent of the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.
N.C. Charter Schools Review Board
This state body oversees the operations and accountability standards for charter schools in North Carolina.
Department of Public Instruction
This state agency manages the public school system and establishes statewide educational policy in North Carolina.
SAS Institute
This company provides the proprietary EVAAS formula used by the state to calculate student growth indices.
The details
The Department of Public Instruction updated its methodology to exclude summer school retests because tracking specific teachers for those scores presented significant logistical difficulties. Superintendent Mo Green noted that while schools rely on the proprietary EVAAS formula to determine performance grading, there were no errors in the application of the model.
Timeline
September 2025: The Department of Public Instruction notified schools of calculation changes.
September 14, 2026: Charter school leaders met with officials from the Department of Public Instruction and SAS.
September 25, 2026: Superintendent Mo Green officially denied the request for recalculation.
October 6, 2026: The Charter Schools Review Board met to discuss the testing issues.
Roadmap
The controversy highlights the administrative reliance on the EVAAS growth model as the standard for measuring school efficacy in North Carolina. Debates over calculation inputs reflect a broader challenge in maintaining consistent metrics across diverse learning environments, including charter and traditional Title I institutions.
The shift in testing methodology impacts how schools are perceived and graded by the state, potentially affecting administrative funding and school ratings. Parents and staff at affected schools may see changes in school performance reports that do not necessarily reflect current classroom performance or student learning gains.
The takeaway
The exclusion of summer retest data illustrates the complexity of balancing proprietary performance formulas with changing academic schedules. Stakeholders should monitor upcoming sessions for potential legislative oversight regarding how these performance metrics are calculated and applied.
Further reading
For more information on state academic benchmarks, visit Secondary Education.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Durham Herald Sun.
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