CHARLOTTE, N.C. — School district leaders will gather Wednesday to discuss how CMS Project LIFT schools performed on testing scores and graduation rates.
Ashley Park Elementary, where leaders will meet, still isn't performing at the level the district wants it at, but the school has shown improvement since last year, when only 28 percent of students tested at grade level.
Ashley Park is one of nine CMS schools involved with Project LIFT, a program launched in 2012 to improve graduation rates and test scores.
LINK: NC public schools accountability and testing results
Donors gave $50 million for the effort to help west Charlotte schools that are low-performing and high-poverty.
By the end of 2017, Project LIFT expects to have 90 percent of students in those schools testing at grade level -- and have 90 percent of West Charlotte High School students graduate on time.
Project LIFT leaders are thrilled with recent gains. West Charlotte High School improved its graduation rate from 76.9 percent in 2015, to 85.9 percent for 2016 graduates.
That's the highest percentage for West Charlotte since joining the project.
Seven of the eight Project LIFT elementary and middle schools had gains in their end-of-grade scores, but they only had a proficiency rate above 50 percent for all of their students.
Almost a year ago, Channel 9 investigated how the program is doing, and found the numbers aren't where they need to be.
Eyewitness News went through the results of the 2015-2016 scores that the state released last week, and found three out of nine schools -- Ranson Middle, Statesville Road Elementary and West Charlotte High School -- tested above 50 percent.
In 2015, only Statesville Road Elementary tested above 50 percent.
Some are questioning whether Project LIFT is working, and believe those students would be better off in magnet schools.
That's a big part of the student assignment process.
The school board is asking the student assignment staff to move forward with a plan after hearing feedback parents gave during a series of community meetings.
Parents said they want to see more STEM, world language, visual and performing arts and international baccalaureate programs offered.
The new plan ensures that school lottery seats to magnet schools are equally distributed across all socioeconomic levels.
The board decided on Tuesday night that it will use census data as well as income and education level that families provide. They'll use that information to divide families into three economic categories.
Superintendent Ann Clark admitted that the plan is complex, but it will be more accurate.
The staff goal is to create a balance of students in each magnet school.
Read more top trending stories on wsoctv.com:
- Pregnant woman shot to death inside south Charlotte apartment
- Greensboro man grabs machete, chases clown into woods
- CMS, CMPD investigating social media threat against Phillip O. Berry Academy
- Mystery newlyweds in breathtaking Yosemite picture come forward
- Authorities charge man after teen shot in Carowinds parking lot
Cox Media Group
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/LH3JSJEF3VBLRJLJQESEAG34AM.png)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/O64AS4PSV5EDZEFWERPIV46ZNQ.jpeg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/C2U2KANLVFB6LIKEIHGWC7OCNI.png)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/6PFHPRC3YFFWFN7SWOQD5C5HVA.jpeg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/SP2J3KED2BDE7NQSK2ABQR6ZU4.png)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/PKLHYIKJTZBVDHNSOF2J6MRJXM.jpeg)