A good education is one of the most important gifts we can offer our children!

One of the most important issues facing families who are relocating is SCHOOLS! The Shannon Edwards team understands this and wants to make sure you have all the information necessary make informed decisions about your new home as well as your children's education.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg and its surrounding counties offer a full range of educational opportunities that meet the varied needs of our residents.

Visit the North Carolina School Report Card to see how each school rates in terms of school performance, class size, school safety, and teacher quality.

NC Report Cards - http://www.ncreportcards.org/src/

Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools http://www.cms.k12.nc.us/

Greater Charlotte Association of Christian Schools http://www.gcacs.com/

Great Schools.net           http://www.greatschools.net/

Mooresville Graded School District www.mgsd.k12.nc.us

North Carolina Public School Review  http://www.publicschoolreview.com/public_schools/stateid/NC

Newsweek Ranks CMS High Schools Among Nation's Best

May 1, 2006
Great news! Three CMS high schools have been ranked among the nation's Top 100 High Schools by Newsweek Magazine, which is hitting news stands today and is available online. The three schools are Myers Park (#16), Harding University (#66) and North Mecklenburg (#93). Newsweek's "challenge ranking" divides the number of Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate or Cambridge tests taken at a school in May by the number of graduating seniors.

Myers Park was also recognized for jumping from 37th to 16th place on the Top 100 list. As a result, Myers Park earned a spot in Newsweek's Top 10 most improved list. There are currently more than 27,000 high schools in the United States.

In ranking schools, Newsweek did not count passing rates because their researchers found most American high schools keep those rates "artificially high by allowing only A students to take the courses" or limit the tests to "only the best students." According to Newsweek, "AP and IB are important because they give average students a chance to experience the trauma of heavy college reading lists and long, analytical college examinations." Newsweek also noted that research shows "the best predictor of college graduation was not good high school grades or test scores but whether or not a student had an intense academic experience in high school."

Currently, fewer than 30 percent of all American high schools offer AP courses as compared with 100 percent of CMS high schools, which also offer a more extensive range of AP courses than most area private and parochial schools. CMS also has one of the nation's most extensive IB programs. Currently, more than 59 percent of CMS seniors graduate having taken at least one AP or IB class. In comparison six states had no high schools on the Newsweek list, while only 5 percent of U.S. public high schools met Newsweek's "modest standard of an average of one college-level test per graduating senior."

This latest nod from Newsweek dovetails with other data that shows CMS' top students out-perform their peers statewide and nationally. CMS' top 10 percent earn an average SAT score of 1205 as compared to 1187 for North Carolina's top 10 percent and 1191 for the top 10 percent in the U.S. CMS' top students also outperformed the nation and all major cities included in the 2005 National Assessment of Educational Progress. CMS students also perform extremely well on IB tests, which are based on rigorous international standards and are the same tests as those taken by students in Germany, Japan, England and other countries.

CMS began pushing increased access to academic rigor for students in 1996 in response to Board of Education concerns that curriculum standards were set too low for all students and that too few poor and minority students were participating in the most advanced curriculum. As a result, academic achievement has increased significantly district-wide and the achievement gap between various groups has narrowed. The gains in CMS also run counter to the traditional race and class fault lines seen nationally. AP participation among African-American students in CMS, for example, has risen from 341 students in 1995-96 to 2,624 in 2004-05.

CMS "pass rates" on AP and IB tests - the rate needed to earn college credit while in high school - vary from school to school. "The first step is to get students on the court and in the game," says Frances Haithcock, superintendent. "The next goal is to teach them how to shoot baskets and score points, and that's what we're focusing on now. This latest recognition once again shows that we're on the right track with our best and brightest students, and that our most challenged high schools are also turning out top students who are well-prepared for the nation's best colleges and universities."

Other CMS high schools touted as among the nation's Top 500 High Schools include: Providence (#126); Butler (#127); South Mecklenburg (#158); Olympic (#197); Hopewell (#154); East Mecklenburg (#323) and Independence (#492). CMS high schools earning a spot among the Top 1000 High Schools include: Vance (#508), Garinger (#525), Northwest School of the Arts (#564); West Charlotte (#820) and Waddell (#980). West Mecklenburg was ranked #1068.

(source: www.cms.k12.nc.us)

Public Schools:

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) is the 23rd largest school system in the country, with over 125,000 students in over 140 schools. CMS offers a variety of schools, ranging from traditional neighborhood schools to magnet schools focusing on specialized curriculum (Arts, International Baccalaureate, Language Immersion, and Technology)

Mooresville Graded School District

School serving the Lake Norman Area:

Lake Norman High School

2004-05 School of Distinction

704-799-8555

Brawley Middle School

Nationally Recognized School to Watch, awarded Spring 2005.

Lake Norman Elementary School

2004-05 School of Excellence

Lakeshore Elementary School

2004-05 Honor School of Excellence

Charter Options:

Lake Norman Charter School:

Located in southern Huntersville, this 5-8 grade charter school is a perennial NC School of Excellence. OUR MISSION is to create self-directed learners (critical thinkers) with strong moral character. To meet school objectives, LNCS provides: A challenging academic setting. A focused classroom size averaging 20 students in core classes. A strong discipline and honor code. A strong, cooperative atmosphere. High professional satisfaction and accountability.

For admission information visit

Children's Community School

Located in Davidson, this charterschool features a Basic School philosophy, placing high value of parental and community involvement. The school will expand to a full K-6 program over the next few years be adding a grade per year. Under the direction of Joy Warner.

For admission information visit

Lincoln Charter School

- Denver Campus

Serving the Denver area with a k-12 charter program.

Southlake Christian Academy:

SouthLake Christian Academy offers elementary, middle and high school students a college preparatory curriculum with a Christian world view. Rigorous academics, a nurturing environment and extracurricular experiences instill an inquiring mind and a love of lifelong learning that students apply throughout their lives to the service of both God and man. The 14 acre campus is located in the heart of the scenic Lake Norman region north of Charlotte, North Carolina.

St. Mark Catholic School

Located in West Huntersville, St. Mark serves K-8 students

Countryside Montessori School

Located in the heart of the University City, serving Jr K to middle schools with plans to expand into a high school program.

Davidson Day School

Located on Davidson, the private school serves Junior K to 9^th grade with a challenging academic program and small class size. New facilities will open in 2006.

Woodlawn School

Woodlawn is a private, independent, nonprofit school located just north of Davidson, NC. Currently accepting students in grades 3 through 10, Woodlawn offers a challenging, integrated academic experience. The school is located on a scenic 61-acre campus that is easily accessible from I-77 and the surrounding Lake Norman communities. The focal point of the campus is the historic Woodlawn plantation house, built in 1836 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.