CONCORD — Cabarrus Health Sciences Institute has emerged as the highest-performing high school in Cabarrus County Schools based on preliminary state testing results, while also celebrating a milestone for its first graduating class.
School officials announced that students achieved proficiency rates of 92.5% in biology, 96.6% in Math III and 100% in English II, placing CHSI at the top of district high schools academically. Final state rankings have not yet been released, but school leaders said they expect the school to rank among North Carolina’s top-performing high schools when results are finalized.
The strong academic showing comes as CHSI’s inaugural class reaches another milestone. The school’s first cohort of students graduated in May after helping establish the early college program that opened in 2022.
About half of the original 44 students earned a Cabarrus College diploma, an associate degree or college credit while completing high school. Other members of the cohort will remain in the early college program for up to two additional years as they work toward associate or bachelor’s degrees.
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CHSI was established through a partnership among Cabarrus College of Health Sciences, Atrium Health and Cabarrus County Schools. Located adjacent to Cabarrus College in Concord, the school is one of three state-funded Cooperative Innovative High Schools in the county and the only one focused specifically on healthcare careers.
Students can pursue several pathways, including earning industry-recognized credentials, associate degrees or college credits that count toward a bachelor’s degree.
“There was no road map to building an early college from the ground up,” Principal Ashley Short said. “We have built the plane as we have flown it, but it has led to a very strong team. With supportive leadership from both the college and the school district, we have found a groove.”
School leaders said developing the program required adapting college-level instruction to meet the needs of high school students. Cabarrus College created training for faculty focused on student learning, feedback and strategies for helping students manage challenging coursework.
“As the first group of students to navigate this early college model, they have shown us what is possible when young people are given high expectations and the support to rise to them,” said Mikahla Louallen, the college’s early college liaison. “Their resilience, honesty and willingness to grow have shaped the way we think about early college students and the support they need to thrive.”
Officials said one of the biggest lessons from the school’s first four years has been the importance of strong relationships between students and staff. In addition to academic instruction, CHSI has emphasized executive functioning skills and confidence-building to help students succeed in college-level courses.
Graduate Faith Sharpe said that support played a key role in her decision to remain in the program and pursue the school’s surgical technology pathway.
“I never told Mrs. Louallen I was thinking about leaving, but when my grades slipped, she reached out to support me and help me figure out solutions,” Sharpe said. “I would think about my future and how I was accepted to the school for a reason. It made me realize I could do it and I should not give up.”
Sharpe is working toward an Associate of Science in Surgical Technology, which she expects to earn after her 13th year in the program.
School leaders said the combination of strong academic performance and the success of the first graduating class demonstrates the progress CHSI has made in its first few years. Final statewide school performance rankings will be released after the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction completes its review process.
