The district is pleased to announce a series of remarkable academic accomplishments in the 2022-2023 school year, reflecting our district's commitment to excellence and growth in education.

Exceptional Growth at Asheville High School and SILSA: Both Asheville High School and the School of Inquiry and Life Sciences at Asheville (SILSA) have exceeded growth for all students.

Inclusive Success: Asheville High School, SILSA, Ira B. Jones Elementary School, Lucy S. Herring Elementary School and Montford North Star Academy have either met or exceeded growth for all subgroups, underscoring ACS's dedication to inclusive and equitable education.

Strong Performance Across The District: Eight of our nine schools have either met or exceeded growth expectations, showcasing widespread progress among ACS students.

Success at Montford North Star Academy: Montford North Star Academy has notably improved its academic standing, elevating its letter grade from a 'C' to a 'B,' a significant achievement!

Superintendent Dr. Maggie Fehrman said, “This data is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our students, educators, and staff across Asheville City Schools. We are proud of the progress we've made in exceeding growth expectations, promoting inclusivity, and striving for excellence. As we meet and exceed growth measures, we will accelerate our progress towards meeting proficiency standards. We will take time to celebrate these achievements; however, we also acknowledge the work ahead as we remain steadfast in our commitment to providing a high-quality education for all students, addressing areas of improvement, and ensuring that every child in our district has the opportunity to succeed. I stand by the promise we have made to the students, parents, and families in ACS to develop a sense of belonging for all students, to provide each student with a challenging and relevant curriculum, and to make every second count. This promise is my commitment to address the areas of improvement in ACS."

Looking at this data, Asheville City Schools has identified several critical academic focus areas that will guide the district's strategic planning process moving forward:

Addressing the Achievement Gap: Despite achievements in growth and proficiency, ACS acknowledges the continued existence of an achievement gap, both in terms of proficiency and growth. The district is renewing our unwavering commitment to address the disparities in achievement between students of color and white students. Centering our work on achieving equitable student outcomes will be at the core of what we do each and every day.

Strengthening Math Proficiency: We recognize the need to enhance growth and proficiency in mathematics at all grade levels, aiming to equip students with solid mathematical foundations.

Reading on Grade Level: We are committed to ensuring every student is reading on grade level by the end of 3rd grade. Research is clear that this benchmark sets students up for success through the rest of their academic career. As we position our students to master challenging and relevant grade level content all the way through graduation, we will focus on ensuring all students are reading on or above grade level before 4th grade.

Since 2013-14, student performance data have been used to assign letter grades to North Carolina public schools as required by North Carolina General Statute 115C-83.15. The grades are based on each school’s achievement score and each school’s students’ academic growth. The total school performance score is used to determine a school performance grade of A, B, C, D or F.

Asheville City Schools 22-23 School Performance Letter Grades:

Asheville High School - B

School of Inquiry and Life Sciences at Asheville - B

Asheville Middle School - C

Montford North Star Academy - B

Claxton Elementary School - C

Hall Fletcher Elementary School - D

Ira B. Jones Elementary School - C

Isaac Dickson Elementary School - C

Lucy S. Herring Elementary School - C

ACS remains focused on its mission to provide a high-quality education to all students and is dedicated to using these insights to further improve the educational experience for all students.

If you want to read the state’s full accountability report, click here: https://www.dpi.nc.gov/.../accountability-data-sets-and...