The Arkansas Department of Education released its school letter grades for the 2024-25 school year — the first year the state has assigned the grades under its second-year ATLAS exam.
According to a department press release, the grades, including those being appealed, were as follows:
- A – 122 schools
- B – 291 schools
- C – 352 schools
- D – 137 schools
- F – 130 schools
The state provided districts with simulated, unofficial grades last year that were based on the first administration of the ATLAS assessment. The gap year was created so schools could review and understand the new formula.
ATLAS stands for Arkansas Teaching, Learning & Assessment System.
The new school grading system is simpler than the old one. Grades related to students in grades K-8 are based on the following factors: percentage of students testing proficient in English language arts, math and science; growth of all students in those subjects; and the growth in the lowest quarter of students.
“Proficient” describes students scoring at Levels 3 and 4 on the ATLAS exam. Students scoring at Level 1 or 2 need additional instruction.
Scores for high school students in grades 9-12 are based on those measurements, on the percentage of students graduating in the four-year cohort, and on the percentage of students graduating with merit or distinction. The goal for the latter is for students to complete a “success ready pathway” so that they are ready after graduation to enroll in further education, to be employed, or to enlist in the military.
According to the Arkansas Department of Education, higher percentages of students in all grades except grade nine scored proficient in English language arts in this second year of the test than the year before. Students improved in math in all grades except fifth grade. In science, all grades except grade eight improved.
In high school math, the percentage of students scoring at Level 3 or 4 in Algebra I increased from 26.9% to 30.8%, while the percentage of geometry students scoring at Level 3 or 4 increased from 18% to 21.5%.
The percentage of fourth graders scoring at Level 3 or 4 improved from 36.1% to 39.2% in English language arts, from 37.8% to 43.1% in math, and from 35.9% to 43% in science.
In grades 7-8, students improved from 32.3% to 33% in English language arts, from 37.7% to 39.3% in math, and from 34.6% to 39.3% in science.
Some highlights of individual school grades include the following:
- Three of the Little Rock School District’s 33 schools received A’s: Forest Park Elementary School, Don Roberts Elementary School, and Jefferson Elementary School. Five schools received a B. Seven schools received a C, including Central High School. Eight schools received a D, including Hall High School, which administrators and school boards are considering closing because of low attendance numbers. Ten schools received an F.
- Twenty of the Bentonville School District’s 24 schools received an A, including both high schools.
- All five Haas Hall Academy schools received an A. The school has campuses in Bentonville, Fayetteville, Fort Smith, Rogers and Springdale.
- In Springdale Public Schools, the state’s largest school district, four schools received an A, nine schools received a B, 10 schools received a C, two received a D, and four schools’ scores are being appealed.
The department did not say what the grades were among schools that were appealing them. It did include them among the total numbers broken down at the beginning of this story.
- Two Fort Smith School District schools, Ballman Elementary and Cavanaugh Elementary, received an A. Four schools received a B. Eight schools received a C. Three schools received a D. One school, the Fort Smith Virtual Academy, received an F. Seven grades are being appealed.
- Five of the Jonesboro School District’s schools received a D while two received a C and two received a B.
- Four of the Blytheville School District’s five schools received an F while Blytheville Middle School received a D. The school district has been taken over by the state for poor performance and is being managed by a private company, AMS Impact Group.
- Four of Forrest City’s five schools received an F while Forrest City Junior High received a D.
To see a spreadsheet of all school district letter grades, visit this link.[1]
Related
References
- ^ visit this link. (dese.ade.arkansas.gov)