McDowell Academy for Innovation

Summary:

McDowell Academy for Innovation is a public high school serving grades 9-12 in Marion, North Carolina, with a small student population of 113 students. This high-performing school consistently outperforms the McDowell County Schools district and the state of North Carolina in academic measures, while also excelling in the performance of specific student groups.

McDowell Academy for Innovation has an impressive statewide ranking, placing 7th out of 640 North Carolina high schools in the 2023-2024 school year, with a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger. The school's academic performance is exceptional, with 100% proficiency in Biology and Math III end-of-course (EOC) tests, compared to 47.3% and 55.9% for the district, and 53.4% and 57.6% for the state, respectively. The school's low-socioeconomic status (SES) students also perform exceptionally well, ranking 24th out of 613 North Carolina high schools for this student group.

When compared to other nearby schools, such as McDowell High School and McDowell Early College, McDowell Academy for Innovation stands out with its significantly higher academic achievement, statewide ranking, and performance of specific student groups. The school's small size, high per-student spending, and low student-teacher ratio may be contributing factors to its success.

Detail:

Public 9-12

54 College Drive
Marion, NC 28752

(828) 659-0411

District: McDowell County Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
7^th of 640 North Carolina High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $24,717

Student/teacher ratio: 14.1

Number of students: 113

Racial breakdown:

White:

66.4%

Hispanic:

23.0%

African American:

6.2%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 51.3%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details McDowell Academy for Innovation ranks better than 98.9% of high schools in North Carolina. It also ranks first among 3 ranked high schools in the McDowell County Schools District! (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 96.39. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details McDowell Academy for Innovation has the smallest high school student body size in the McDowell County Schools District. Racial makeup is: White (66.4%), Hispanic (23%), African American (6.2%). (See more...)

Compare Details 51.3% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at McDowell Academy for Innovation is 14.1, which is the lowest among 3 high schools in the McDowell County Schools District! (See more...)

Compare McDowell Academy for Innovation employs 8 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at McDowell Academy for Innovation is $24,717, which is the highest among 3 high schools in the McDowell County Schools District!

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

McDowell Academy for Innovation:

SchoolDigger ranks McDowell Academy for Innovation 7^th of 640 North Carolina public high schools. (See McDowell Academy for Innovation in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

White students:

McDowell County Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks McDowell County Schools 115^th of 242 North Carolina school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for McDowell Academy for Innovation

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Rank History for all students at McDowell Academy for Innovation

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2021	68.02	165^th	594	72.2%
2022	77.03	142^nd	621	77.1%
2023	94.48	32^nd	626	94.9%
2024	96.39	7^th	640	98.9%

See the entire list of North Carolina High School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at McDowell Academy for Innovation

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	97.09	25^th	597	95.8%
2024	97.44	24^th	613	96.1%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at McDowell Academy for Innovation

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2022	85.11	88^th	594	85.2%
2023	91.90	46^th	588	92.2%
2024	96.63	2^nd	602	99.7%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at McDowell Academy for Innovation

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2022	56.66	223^rd	585	61.9%
2023	96.76	8^th	602	98.7%
2024	96.18	17^th	607	97.2%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for White students at McDowell Academy for Innovation

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NC State Percentile
2022	73.21	149^th	534	72.1%
2023	92.23	35^th	537	93.5%
2024	95.38	2^nd	553	99.6%

See the entire list of Best North Carolina High Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction

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Enrollment information for McDowell Academy for Innovation

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Two or More Races	Total
2019	57	2	1	7	1	4	72
2020	76	3	2	16	0	6	103
2021	92	3	1	22	0	5	123
2022	76	3	2	22	0	4	107
2023	75	7	1	26	0	4	113

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at McDowell Academy for Innovation

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2019	72	13.6	5.2	54.2
2020	103	11.5	8.9	52.4
2021	123	12.0	10.2	45.5
2022	107	10.0	10.7	29
2023	113	8.0	14.1	51.3

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio McDowell Academy for Innovation

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2019	72	13.6	5.2	54.2
2020	103	11.5	8.9	52.4
2021	123	12.0	10.2	45.5
2022	107	10.0	10.7	29
2023	113	8.0	14.1	51.3

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for McDowell Academy for Innovation

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$228 (0.9%)	$24,489 (99.1%)	$24,717

Data source: North Carolina Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on McDowell Academy for Innovation

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
End of Course Biology (McDowell Academy for Innovation)	33.3	91.7	58.4%
End of Course Biology (McDowell County Schools)	61.7	45.8	15.9%
End of Course Biology (North Carolina)	59.6	54.1	5.5%
End of Course English II (McDowell Academy for Innovation)	62.5	93.8	31.3%
End of Course English II (McDowell County Schools)	67.8	55.9	11.9%
End of Course English II (North Carolina)	59.7	58.5	1.2%
End of Course Math I (McDowell Academy for Innovation)	34.5	94.6	60.1%
End of Course Math I (McDowell County Schools)	45.5	45.9	0.4%
End of Course Math I (North Carolina)	41.2	35.9	5.3%
End of Course Math III (McDowell Academy for Innovation)	47.1	88.5	41.4%
End of Course Math III (McDowell County Schools)	54.6	54.9	0.3%
End of Course Math III (North Carolina)	46.8	58.3	11.5%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	72	113	56.9%
African American	2	7	250%
American Indian	1	0	100%
Asian	1	1
Hispanic	7	26	271.4%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	57	75	31.6%
Two or More Races	4	4
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	54.2%	51.3%	2.8%

Schools Near McDowell Academy for Innovation

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				EOC Biology (2024)	EOC English II (2024)	EOC Math I (2024)	EOC Math III (2024)	EOG Mathematics (2024)		EOG Reading (2024)		EOG Science (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	EOC Biology End of Course	EOC English II End of Course	EOC Math I End of Course	EOC Math III End of Course	EOG Mathematics 7th Grade	EOG Mathematics 8th Grade	EOG Reading 7th Grade	EOG Reading 8th Grade	EOG Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
McDowell Academy for Innovation	Public	9-12	54 College Drive	Marion	28752	McDowell County	McDowell County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 659-0411	113	8	14.1	51.3%	75 (66.4%)	7 (6.2%)	26 (23.0%)	1 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (3.5%)	96.4	7^th of 640 public high schools	98.9%		94.5	32^nd of 626 public high schools	94.9%	25	100.0	97.3	96.2	100.0						$24,717	$228	$24,489
McDowell Early College	Public	9-12	54 College Drive	Marion	28752	McDowell County	McDowell County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 659-0411	225	12	18.4	42.7%	166 (73.8%)	4 (1.8%)	43 (19.1%)	3 (1.3%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (3.6%)	93.3	48^th of 640 public high schools	92.5%		95.8	16^th of 626 public high schools	97.4%	32	84.4	97.3	92.3	93.9						$7,400	$232	$7,168
McDowell High School	Public	9-12	600 McDowell High School Dr	Marion	28752	McDowell County	McDowell County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 652-7920	1,416	94	15.0	60.0%	1,055 (74.5%)	42 (3.0%)	230 (16.2%)	13 (0.9%)	2 (0.1%)	3 (0.2%)	71 (5.0%)	32.1	429^th of 640 public high schools	33.0%		31.5	423^rd of 626 public high schools	32.4%	6	38.0	51.6	33.7	50.9						$9,698	$1,036	$8,662
McDowell Virtual Academy	Public, Virtual	6-12	346 West McDowell Junior High	Marion	28752	McDowell County	McDowell County Schools	No	No	Yes	No	(828) 652-3390	140	7	20.0	26.4%	121 (86.4%)	9 (6.4%)	5 (3.6%)	2 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (2.1%)	12.5	573^rd of 640 public high schools	10.5%		10.4	578^th of 626 public high schools	7.7%	5	9.1	44.4	7.7		16.7	16.7	18.2	47.1	58.8
Freedom High	Public	9-12	511 Independence Boulevard	Morganton	28655	Burke County	Burke County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 433-1310	1,414	74	19.2	63.6%	670 (47.4%)	109 (7.7%)	473 (33.5%)	58 (4.1%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	103 (7.3%)	37.9	388^th of 640 public high schools	39.4%		44.9	324^th of 626 public high schools	48.2%	64	48.5	49.6	34.5	57.2						$8,511	$796	$7,716
Burke Middle College	Public	11-12	1001 Burkemont Ave	Morganton	28655	Burke County	Burke County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 448-3175	119	3	39.6	33.6%	59 (49.6%)	4 (3.4%)	19 (16.0%)	31 (26.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (5.0%)								(n/a)				79.5						$4,804	$268	$4,536
Robert L. Patton High School	Public	9-12	701 Enola Road	Morganton	28655	Burke County	Burke County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 433-3000	752	40	18.8	54.8%	526 (69.9%)	16 (2.1%)	151 (20.1%)	20 (2.7%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (4.9%)	66	200^th of 640 public high schools	68.8%		56.6	249^th of 626 public high schools	60.2%	49	71.3	69.2	58.3	61.5						$9,266	$744	$8,523
R-S Central High School	Public	9-12	641 Hwy 221 North	Rutherfordton	28139	Rutherford County	Rutherford County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 287-3304	758	54	14.0	99.6%	543 (71.6%)	90 (11.9%)	66 (8.7%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	56 (7.4%)	41.9	359^th of 640 public high schools	43.9%		50.3	287^th of 626 public high schools	54.2%	72	59.6	50.2	32.8	56.4						$10,966	$1,171	$9,795
Mayland Early College	Public	9-12	264 Mayland Dr	Spruce Pine	28777	Mitchell County	Mitchell County Schools	No	No	No	No	(828) 766-2590	119	5	23.8	39.5%	99 (83.2%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (10.1%)	2 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (5.0%)	84.6	113^th of 640 public high schools	82.3%		94.4	34^th of 626 public high schools	94.6%	79	82.9	81.8	95.0	71.4						$7,370	$209	$7,160

Frequently Asked Questions about McDowell Academy for Innovation

What is the racial makeup of McDowell Academy for Innovation?

Students at McDowell Academy for Innovation are 66% White, 23% Hispanic, 6% African American, 4% Two or more races.

How many students attend McDowell Academy for Innovation?

In the 2022-23 school year, 113 students attended McDowell Academy for Innovation.

What district is McDowell Academy for Innovation in?

McDowell County Schools

Is McDowell Academy for Innovation a good school?

Yes! McDowell Academy for Innovation is one of the best high schools in the state. It ranks 7^th of 640 North Carolina high schools.

Rate McDowell Academy for Innovation!

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the North Carolina Dept of Public Instruction.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.