Jackson County Public Schools’ test scores are on the rise, with several Smoky Mountain High School students receiving College Board awards for academic excellence.
At the Sept. 23 Board of Education meeting, JCPS Director of Testing and Accountability Adam Holt presented the 2024-2025 academic year state accountability data release. This data examines end-of-course exams, ACT scores and graduation rates. Schools are then graded with a letter corresponding to growth and success.
JCPS saw overall improvement over the past year, but the grading remains low.
At Smoky Mountain High School, end-of-course exam proficiency went up 2.7 percentage points. The NC Math 3 end-of-course exam saw considerable improvement with a 20 percentage point increase. English 2 scores went up 2.9 percentage points.
JCPS students are also doing well with ACT scores. Last year, 60.5% of students made at least a 17, the minimum score set by the state. The state average is 53.8% of students making this score, setting JCPS ahead.
Overall, the district had an 87.6% graduation rate in May. Smoky Mountain High School had over 90% graduation rate.
This data also looks at cohorts within the district, or the school-specific groups of students as they go through the school system. Each cohort is examined for proficiency increases as they move from one grade level to the next.
“All of our cohort groups, grades four through eight, grew from where they were the prior year,” Holt said. “So, we are increasing that proficiency rate.”
When looking at this data, a few students stood out.
Superintendent Dana Ayers honored six Smoky Mountain High School students who were awarded the College Board’s new School Recognition Award.
The six students are Mihin DeSilva, Kaitlyn Helt, Gracie-Lee Irons, Isabelle Joiner, Ace Prenger and Custer Prenger.
“This is the first time in my five-year tenure, the first time ever that I’ve recognized students for this,” Ayers said. “So, you are the folks that are making the mark and setting the standard for all the students that follow us.”
To qualify for the School Recognition award, these students had to be in the top 10% of their class and state-wide PSAT scores, have at least a 3.3 cumulative GPA and at least 2 distinct AP exam scores of a three or higher.
Joiner and DeSilva received both the School Recognition Award and the National Rural and Smalltown Recognition Award, which recognizes high achieving students in rural and less well-known areas.
When Ayers asked what their plans were after graduation, all six students shared goals to attend a four-year university.
Board members voted to move October’s meeting to Monday, Oct. 27 at 6 p.m. at Central Office.
