Planning Phases - Asheville City School District

Phase 1

Taking Stock of Asheville City Schools History

(January 2025 - February 2025)

Quantitative Data Review

Significant funding decisions (budget cuts, etc.)
Significant enrollment and population trends
Hanover, Mentimeter, a potential transcript pull of postsecondary attendees (National Clearinghouse reports), and Instructional walkthrough data related to current goals.

Qualitative Data Review

Explore the history, implementation, and current reality of:
- School district formation
- Desegregation order
- Implementation of special programs and school communities
  - (e.g. Asheville Primary, KIPP, Silsa, Willian Randolph, and AVID)

Revisit listening session data to date
- What have stakeholders stated they want to see in ACS schools?
- What have stakeholders identified as significant challenges, barriers, and historical inequities/harms (e.g. Education Reparations Report)?
- What have stakeholders seen as the value or strengths of Asheville?
Refine data collection with oral history from key groups
- Conduct data gathering and fact-checking sessions with veteran teachers, long-standing community members, and the ACS Strategic Planning Steering Committee to review the gathered history and understanding of the district.

Deliverable:

Compilation of ACS history, previous listening session findings, and quantitative data into an ACS historical report and a report of key findings to inform the next steps in the strategic planning process.

Community Engagement

In January of 2025, Asheville City Schools launched a comprehensive community engagement process and data review to determine the existing strengths and areas for growth for ACS. In addition, ACS solicited community feedback on three driving questions:

What should students know and be able to do upon graduating from ACS?
What types of learning experiences will students need to have to gain these skills?
What should our schools look like, feel like and sound like in the future?

1,060 students, staff, parents and community members engaged in focus groups, staff input sessions and surveys.

Key Findings:

Top Strengths of Asheville City Schools:

Dedicated and Caring Teachers and Staff
Tight-knit and Small School Community
Enrichment through Arts and Extracurriculars
Innovative and Favored Programs

Top Emerging Strengths of Asheville City Schools:

Strengthening School Culture and Relationships
Emerging Leadership and Direction
Commitment to Learning-Focused Culture
Communication Improvements
Improved Safety and Support Structures

Top Challenges/Barriers to Success in Asheville City Schools:

Student Behavior and Learning Disruption
Inconsistent and Inequitable School Culture
Lack of Support for Teachers
Curriculum and Instruction Gaps
Academic Expectations and Accountability

What do we want Asheville City Schools to look like, sound like, and feel like in the future?

Safe, Welcoming and Inclusive Environments
Real-World and Project-Based Learning
Human Connection and Relational Culture
Empowered and Respected Educators
Equity, Belonging and Voice

Top Themes for Types of Learning Experiences:

Learning that Feels Real and Relevant
Learning Aligned to Standards and Purpose
A Call for Deeper, More Meaningful Learning

Setting a Vision for the Future

(March 2025 - April 2025)
- Objectives:
  - Foster a community vision for Asheville City Schools students with a defined trajectory for student experience within the district from K-14.
- Data and topics to explore to inform visioning:
  - ACS historical report and report of key findings from Phase 0
  - 21st century workforce skill trends (local, national, global)
  - Contemporary and future economic impact, housing displacement, and workforce trends as a result of Hurricane Helene
  - Types of educational approaches that support student skill development in alignment with future needs

Deliverables:

Defined vision for an ACS graduate by designing an ACS graduate profile outlining the skills ALL ACS students would attain as a result of their trajectory through Asheville City Schools.
A defined vision for ACS schools outlining the experiences students will have that will enable them to develop the skills outlined in the ACS graduate profile.
Identifying structures, systems, and practices adults need to enact across the district (classroom, schools, central office, etc.) for these experiences to be possible.

Stakeholder groups: Parents, students, community members, business/industry community, strategic planning committee, counseling staff, Board of Education members

Mapping the current state (June 2025 and Beyond)
- Objectives:
  - Transition the work of the Strategic Planning Steering Committee and Project Managers to the staff and educators of Asheville City Schools. These staff members will lead the practical implementation of priority areas and goals, envisioning what a school environment that nurtures the passions and purpose of our students will look like on a daily, monthly, and yearly basis.

Phase 2

Development of the Portrait of a Scholar

Objectives:

Identify five key qualities or characteristics that define a successful Asheville City Schools graduate.
Communicate these Portrait of a Scholar Qualities with community and stakeholders.
Identify strategic priorities to cultivate these qualities in our students.

Data and topics to explore:

Develop professional practices that support ACS Portrait of a Scholar
Review and develop policies that support ACS Portrait of a Scholar
- Identify new practices/structures/policies needed to meet the vision
- Identify existing practices/structures/policies to scale and/or continue to identify
- Identify existing practices/structures/policies to de-implement or abandon

Deliverables:

Finalized ACS Portrait of a Scholar

Asheville City Schools Portrait of a Scholar

Phase 3

Board of Education Mission, Vision and Core Beliefs

Phase III of our Strategic Planning, and a vital part of this work is defining the core purpose of Asheville City Schools by developing a new Mission and Vision Statement. Grounded in community input and student feedback, the Asheville City Board of Education drafted several mission and vision statements that were shared with and voted on by our stakeholders. We are proud to reveal Asheville City Schools new Mission and Vision statements below.

Mission Statement:

Asheville City Schools is unified in our mission to ensure that every student feels they belong, engages in meaningful, challenging, and relevant learning experiences, and graduates on time with the skills, knowledge, and characteristics to pursue their passions and create positive change.

Vision Statement:

Our vision is to build a joyful, innovative district that supports individual success and strengthens our entire community. Our Cougar Pride is evident in the effective collaboration between students, interactive curriculum, and enriching environment that sets us up for success in school and the future.Through creativity, cultural uplift, and student leadership, we will create effective learning experiences for every student and faculty member in our district and beyond. Employing accessible policies, resources, and learning environments will provide clear pathways toward lifelong growth and success for all.

Phase 4

Development of Goals and Objectives and Strategic Priorities:

Student Goals

Staff Goals

Community Engagement

Steps for Development of Goals and Objectives

1. Analyze data to identify 4 -5 focus areas

2. Build our strategy map

Identifies our focus areas
Craft an overall objective or long-term outcome that we will achieve
Identifies critical initiatives and resources we can leverage to meet the long-term goal

3. Identify which current initiatives we can de-implement

4. Use an Equitable Decision-Making Tool as decisions are made to ensure we are aligning resources and investments so that each student has the opportunity, resources, and supports to achieve exceptional outcomes and demonstrate all 5 characteristics of our portrait of a scholar

5. Build detailed action plans for 2025-2026 and general plans for 2026 and beyond

6. Present DRAFT plan to Board of Education in April, 2026.

Action Planning Teams will be formed by District Leadership. Each team will be comprised of members across our education community including students, parents, teachers, staff, and education experts. During this time there will be opportunities for additional community engagement including but not limited to, focus groups and surveys.