% of children entering kindergarten at a proficient level based on entry assessment

Reflects the percentage of incoming kindergarteners in the Asheville City and Buncombe County School systems that meet or exceed proficiency standards for the majority of language, literacy, cognitive and math developmental measures.

This is not a Buncombe County Strategic Plan Goal, but watching this metric informs how county goals are pursued.

% of 3rd grade students proficient on NC end-of-grade assessment for reading and math

Being on track in reading and math in 3rd grade is a key gateway towards future academic success, particularly due to the shift at this age from "learning to read" to "reading to learn." This is the percent of 3rd graders testing as proficient in both reading and math on end-of-grade tests in Ashville City and Buncombe County Schools.

This is not a Buncombe County Strategic Plan Goal, but watching this metric informs how county goals are pursued.

High School Graduation Rate

Graduating from high school is extremely important for future academic and professional success. This is the percentage of entering 9th graders who graduated successfully with their class in 4 years in Asheville City and Buncombe County Schools. Graduation rate alone does not tell the whole story and is best considered along with other performance measures to understand graduation with readiness and disparities in education.

This is not a Buncombe County Strategic Plan Goal, but watching this metric informs how county goals are pursued.

Protect older residents' ability to age in place

AARP’s livability score is the indicator for protecting older residents’ ability age in place as a community indicator because it represents work that both HHS, multiple County Departments, and local advocacy groups envision for housing, transportation, the environment, health, engagement, and opportunity for Buncombe County.