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

We're moving into Phase IV of our Strategic Planning, and a vital part of this work is defining the core purpose of Asheville City Schools through developing a new Mission, Vision, and Core Beliefs.

Mission Statement:

We believe our Mission statement must be reflective of our entire community, and we need your voice to complete the process. Our Board of Education has drafted several potential Mission Statements. Please take a moment to click the link below, review the drafts, and share your feedback on which statement you feel best captures the heart and mission of Asheville City Schools. Feedback from this survey will be shared with our Board during the December Work Session on December 1st.

Mission statement feedback Survey

Vision Statement:

Student input will be gathered in developing the new Vision Statement for Asheville City Schools. This data will be reviewed with our Board in January.

Core Beliefs:

After reviewing Mission and Vision student and community input, this work will begin in January, 2026.

Phase 4

Development of Goals and Objectives and Strategic Priorities: Ongoing

Student Goals: Coming Soon

Staff Goals: Coming Soon

Community Engagement: Coming Soon

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.