Ashford Elementary School, Ashford AL

Original Research by School Decision on Ashford Elementary School

Ashford Elementary is a regular public school serving students from prekindergarten through fifth grade in the small town of Ashford, a quiet residential community in the Dothan metropolitan area. The school is part of the Houston County School District, which recently expanded its prekindergarten program and adopted a new reading curriculum aligned with the Alabama Literacy Act, including the third-grade retention requirement that took effect in the 2023-2024 school year. This means parents of students entering third grade should be aware that reading proficiency by year's end is now a promotion benchmark.

Academically, Ashford Elementary posted strong results on the 2024-25 Alabama ACAP assessments, particularly in English language arts. Third graders achieved a high proficiency rate, and fourth and fifth graders also performed well in reading, with rates well above half. In mathematics, the picture is more mixed: third grade proficiency was similarly strong, but fourth and fifth grade math rates were lower, closer to the midpoint. Science, tested only in fourth grade, lagged behind both math and ELA, with less than half of students scoring proficient. Taken together, the school's overall proficiency index places it in the top quartile when compared to other districts in Houston County, a solid position. Because only one year of state test data is available, there is no trend to assess; parents may want to ask the school how recent cohorts have fared over time.

The student body is predominantly White, with a substantial Black enrollment and smaller shares of Hispanic, Asian, and multiracial students. Information on the share of students with individualized education plans or English learner status was not provided, so families with children in those categories may wish to ask the school directly about available services. A large majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that many families face economic challenges. The school is of a size typical for an elementary school in its grade band.

Ashford itself is a car-dependent town where U.S. Route 84 and County Road 55 provide the main thoroughfares. Street life is quiet, though a September Harvest Day Festival brings some liveliness downtown. Civic anchors include a historic railroad depot museum, Bicentennial Memorial Park, and recreation fields behind the high school. The town has been growing steadily, and housing costs in the area are relatively affordable compared to state and national benchmarks. The nearest major airport is roughly a half-hour drive northwest in Dothan.

The district has also been discussing a possible new school campus in the growing Rehobeth area, though no formal vote has occurred. For Ashford Elementary families, the most immediate district-level change is the literacy curriculum shift and the third-grade retention policy, which directly affects the elementary grades this school serves. Parents of younger students may want to understand how the school is supporting early reading development and what interventions are in place for children who are not yet on track.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 373%

School 73% · District 71% · ▲ 3 pts above district

▲ 30 pts above state median · ▲ 14 pts above county median

Grade 449%

School 49% · District 66% · ▼ 17 pts below district

▲ 12 pts above state median · ▲ 8 pts above county median

Grade 557%

School 57% · District 58%

▲ 24 pts above state median · ▲ 19 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 381%

School 81% · District 83% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▲ 15 pts above state median · ▲ 13 pts above county median

Grade 475%

School 75% · District 78% · ▼ 4 pts below district

▲ 16 pts above state median · ▲ 18 pts above county median

Grade 570%

School 70% · District 76% · ▼ 6 pts below district

▲ 4 pts above state median · ▲ 13 pts above county median

Science

Grade 444%

School 44% · District 51% · ▼ 8 pts below district

▲ 5 pts above state median · ▲ 13 pts above county median

This schoolHouston County, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

Mathematics

Grade 5Lower-income49%Higher-income75%27 pp gap