NC School Report Cards

Jackson County Public Schools has made significant progress in many areas in the past year. As you view the North Carolina State Report Card for our school system, please allow me to highlight our successes.

We analyze multiple sources of data on a consistent basis throughout each school year.  Jackson County Public Schools has implemented a structured Assessment system which includes a balance of screeners/diagnostic assessments and benchmark/interim assessments.  In reviewing our data, we not only focus on the performance of our students, but we also analyze attendance, behavior and social/emotional wellness.  

Additionally, Jackson County Public Schools prides itself in maintaining safety as is demonstrated by our comprehensive District and School Level Safe Schools' Plan. Our highest priority is student safety; however, a close second is teaching and learning for success. Our district reviews other external effects such as attendance, suspension/dropout rates, teacher credentialing, and other relevant data in our District Leadership Team (DLT) monthly meetings.  These discussions are designed to build successful classroom environments and use instructional strategies to provide instructional support. It is important we consider the whole child when data is analyzed.

Our district works on a continuous improvement model and we use data to continue providing curriculum support and on-going professional development. Data analysis is critical to targeting specific areas in different schools to ensure that we make consistent gains in all areas of the school system. There are many additional key factors that determine the quality of a school. We are proud of our teachers; they are among the most highly qualified in the state. Our focus is to prioritize the classroom in our decision making process and to align our budget to teaching and learning.

We have excellent opportunities available in our schools including: Early College Experiences, Health and Wellness Initiatives, Child Nutrition activities, and programming such as the Multi-Tiered Systems of Support approach for academic and behavior interventions, enrichment, athletics, clubs, after-school programming, academic events and competitions, STEM and Arts opportunities, and Career Technical Education Programming. These programs and others work together for the success of each student.

We offer a wide range of opportunities for students, while attending to the individual student’s needs. We have an excellent collaborative relationship with Western Carolina University and Southwestern Community College. We continually work with our higher education partners in projects, grant writing, sharing resources and research. Partnerships with our stakeholders and our families are critical to the success of our students and our community.

We are privileged to live, study and work in the beautiful Smoky Mountains. It is important that we recognize and encourage our students to embrace a sense of place. We honor our mountain traditions, history and culture.

Please feel free to review our data and contact us with any questions you may have. Thank you for your support of Jackson County Public Schools.

Adam Holt
Director of Testing & Accountability