Doctor Reed presented Buncombe County Schools’ annual testing and accountability report Thursday, outlining districtwide strengths — including a 91.4% cohort graduation rate and an average ACT composite of 19.1 — alongside areas needing attention such as fifth-grade math and persistent proficiency gaps for some student groups.

The presentation placed results in context: remote instruction and recovery after Hurricane Helene reduced in-person instruction and contributed to missed learning time. “We missed 19 student instructional days,” Doctor Reed said during the presentation, adding the district had expected growth recalculations that did not occur. The report covered the 2023–24 school year accountability results and compared growth and proficiency across the district’s 45 schools and multiple student groups.

The findings: several elementary and intermediate schools met or exceeded growth in reading, and four schools moved up at least one letter grade. The district reported 1,199 Advanced Placement credits earned and 6,307 dual‑enrollment credits through AB Tech. Industry credentialing rose substantially after changes in how ACT WorkKeys is counted; district staff estimated credential totals would be about 3,700 if WorkKeys were included, compared with 1,760 the year before.

Nut graf: The report frames strong districtwide indicators (graduation and college-readiness measures) against uneven proficiency and growth across grade bands and student subgroups. District leaders emphasized targeted interventions—especially for fifth grade and for students with disabilities—and outlined timelines for school improvement processes required by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.

In the body of the presentation, Doctor Reed walked the board through the difference between proficiency (whether students meet a defined “finish line”) and growth (how much students progress relative to peers who started at the same place). Staff showed quadrant charts plotting school-level growth indices against percent proficient and highlighted pockets of success: Valley Springs Middle School’s growth placed it in the top 1% statewide, and Lester Elementary exited low-performing status after raising its grade.

District next steps and staff actions described in the presentation include: sending parent notification letters in October for schools designated as low performing, opening a public input window on school improvement plans in November, and seeking board approval of school improvement plans in December before sharing them with the Department of Public Instruction for NCSTAR feedback. Doctor Reed also said the district used hurricane recovery grant funds to place a half‑time interventionist in each middle school on the state low-performing list and that staffing prioritization (counselors, social workers, teachers, assistants) will be used to support targeted schools.

Board members pressed for clarity about causes and consequences. Board member Plemons noted that 73% kindergarten end-of-year proficiency still leaves nearly 27% not proficient and urged the district to prioritize staffing and resource allocation. When asked whether the fifth-grade dip related to disruptions in earlier kindergarten years, Doctor Reed pointed to both the district’s unique transition pattern between intermediate and fifth grade and the timing of Hurricane Helene as compounding factors.

The presentation also noted demographic shifts: the district’s Hispanic student share rose to nearly 23% while the white student share decreased; nearly 40% of beginning teachers this year hold alternate licenses. Staff emphasized targeted professional learning, coaching (named instructional coaches), summer programming funded with state and grant dollars, early‑literacy investments, and an “instructional framework” to align classroom practice with research-based strategies.

Ending: Board members thanked staff for the detailed report; staff framed next actions around the school improvement timeline and continued supports for schools and student groups identified in the presentation.