Haywood County Schools ranks 14th among the state’s 115 school districts, based upon the district performance composite. This is a decrease of nine-tenths of a point from the previous year. The performance composite represents a combination of all state tests as well as other performance indicators for schools in each district. Academic growth is a measure of learning during a school year. Growth is given a designation of not met, met or exceeds depending on the amount of progress students made from the beginning of the year to the end of the year.
The initial 2017-18 school performance indicators were released by the State Board of Education earlier today. The released school performance indicators are available online at http://www.ncpublicschools.org/accountability/reporting/. The school performance information was approved and released during the regular September meeting of the State Board of Education. Additional detailed performance results including individual school report cards are scheduled for release by the state in October. North Carolina has had a school accountability program since 1996. In 2012-13 the state strengthened its accountability model to focus on rigorous career and college readiness standards.
North Carolina’s academic performance model continues a long-standing practice of increasing rigor in curriculum and assessments. The state will continue to report academic growth rates and the percentage of students scoring proficient on state assessments. Growth reflects the progress students made during the school year. Performance standards are higher than in the past, which make it more difficult for some students to reach proficiency. The following compares Haywood County Schools to statewide performance.
| Performance Composite | Academic Growth | State Letter Grade | |
| North Carolina | 58.8 | ||
| Haywood County Schools | 67.1 | ||
| Bethel Elementary | 74.3 | Met | B |
| Clyde Elementary | 65.9 | Met | B |
| Hazelwood Elementary | 63.4 | Met | C |
| Jonathan Valley Elementary | 65.6 | Met | C |
| Junaluska Elementary | 73.8 | Met | B |
| Meadowbrook Elementary | 67.9 | Met | B |
| North Canton Elementary | 70.9 | Not Met | C |
| Riverbend Elementary | 92.7 | Met | A |
| Bethel Middle | 67.4 | Met | B |
| Canton Middle | 60.2 | Met | C |
| Waynesville Middle | 64.1 | Not Met | C |
| Central Haywood High | 10.5 | NA Alternative HS | C |
| Haywood Early College | >95 | Exceeded | A |
| Pisgah High | 70.7 | Met | B |
| Tuscola High | 63.8 | Not Met | B |
In 2013-14 the state began issuing school letter grades that are based upon 80% of the performance composite and 20% of the growth score. In 2013-14 Haywood County Schools was one of only 8 districts to have no “D” or “F” schools. In 2014-15, 2015-16, and 2016-17 Haywood County Schools remained in an elite group of school districts with no “D” or “F” schools. The following chart presents the percentage of schools by letter grade for all North Carolina schools, charter schools and Haywood County Schools.
| Letter Grade | All NC Public Schools | Public Charter Schools | Haywood County Schools |
| A or A+ | 7.3% | 8.9% | 14.3% |
| B | 28.3% | 32.7% | 50% |
| C | 42.2% | 35.7% | 35.7% |
| D | 18.6% | 17.9% | None |
| F | 3.6% | 4.8% | None |
“Our overall performance composite decreased nine-tenths of a point,” said Superintendent Bill Nolte. “It is a little like the Olympics where a few tenths make a difference in the overall ranking, especially for those at the head of the pack. We are looking forward to the complete analysis of data as the state releases additional data and school report cards in the coming weeks. That will tell us how we stacked up with other schools and districts across the state.”
“To our staff, these numbers are student faces who they work diligently with to provide the best possible education,” said Assistant Superintendent Jill Barker. “We are proud of their efforts and the individual accomplishments of our students. We will continue to work hard and love the children.”
Contact: Dr. Bill Nolte, Superintendent