2023 Schools on the Move Toward Excellence Featured Schools!

Public School Ratings, ESSA School Index Scores, and Weighted Achievement Scores were compared between 2023 and 2022 to identify schools which made the most continuous improvement over the span of time. Value-Added Growth Scores for 2023 were evaluated to identify schools who scored two standard deviations above the mean. Five schools, three elementary and two high schools, earned the distinction as a Schools on the Move Towards Excellence Featured School by meeting the requirements for all four categories!  These schools are highlighted below:

*Did not meet the growth requirement, but instead increased its Public School Rating by two letter grades and earned the distinction as a Schools on the Move Toward Excellence Featured School!  

Pottsville Elementary - From B to A

Nestled between Russellville and Atkins in Pope County, Pottsville Elementary School’s letter grade jumped from a B to an A in 2023. The school also increased its overall ESSA School Index Score by nearly 8 points, from 78.51 in 2022 to 86.22 in 2023.

Larry Duggar, superintendent of the Pottsville School District, was thrilled by the return to an A rating and said it simply raised the school back “up to our expectations.” Pottsville Elementary Principal Shannon Davis described the school as being the hub of its community – a place where teachers know their students’ families and their needs. Pottsville Elementary has the special distinction of earning the highest growth score in the state of Arkansas. When asked about this distinction, staff described an intensive Response to Intervention (RTI) process that involves 30 minutes each day, individual conferencing, and a variety of resources and extension activities.

Pottsville Elementary used Science of Reading methods to determine a need for tailored instruction in phonemic awareness. The school placed special education instructors in regular classrooms to encourage inclusive practices. Numeracy consultants have helped teachers become great data trackers and to use diagnostic tools to intensify instruction. Additionally, all teachers have an engagement component in their plans. Pottsville Elementary staff believe that continued fidelity to this high-level RTI process will help them continue on their path of success.

Mountain Springs Elementary - From B to A

Mountain Springs Elementary School, part of the Cabot School District, serves pre-Kindergarten through 4th grade students. In 2023, the school raised its overall ESSA School Index score by 7.14 points, from 75.36 in 2022 to 82.5 in 2023. The school also increased its school letter grade from a B to an A in 2023.

The results were no surprise to Stacy Allen, director of K-6 Teaching and Learning. She called the achievement “a great reward” for how well the teachers worked with the students this past year. Mountain Springs Elementary Principal Connie Reed said she was overjoyed and commended the teachers for how hard they worked to achieve these results. Currently in her second year as principal, she knew there was work to be done last year and decided to focus on fourth-grade reading. Strategies included posting goals in classrooms, assessing math and literacy every two weeks, and making sure all students are accessing grade-level content.

The school’s weighted achievement score is 85.1, which is well above the state average. This can be attributed to a number of programs the school has implemented, such as Intervention Time for all students, even those who are in the two highest performance levels. Mountain Springs Elementary has also found success with programs like Capturing Kids’ Hearts, T.H.R.I.V.E., and the work they have done with Professional Learning Communities.

Rural Special High School - From B to A

Superintendent Brent Howard said his phone was “going nuts” with congratulations when the news was announced that Rural Special High School, part of the Mountain View School District, had become a 2023 featured School on the Move Toward Excellence. Not only did the school raise its letter grade from a B to an A, it also increased its weighted achievement score by 20 points and its overall ESSA School Index Score by 11.49 points.

Rural Special High School Principal Tanya Stewart praised the community tradition in the area, having grown up herself just “down the hill.” She described a great network in which community members “step up 100 percent” and pitch in wherever needed. Melissa Howard, director of Standards and Curriculum, explained how that has helped keep student mobility lower than many other districts. In a place where there’s not much property turnover since land is passed down through generations, former teachers return to volunteer at the school.

To achieve high weighted achievement and growth scores, the school has regularly-scheduled advisory group time in which students meet with grade-level sponsors who review Student Success Plans beginning in grade 7. Rural Special High School’s limited budget did not stop it from finding grant opportunities to provide training and support for Professional Learning Communities (PLCs). The PLC process has helped staff unpack the new standards, create a better pacing process, and help teachers determine what works and what can be done better. The school credits representatives from Solution Tree and its educational service cooperative for their support and investment in the school’s continued success.

Vilonia Primary - From C to B

“Excitement!” That’s how Susan Loyd, Vilonia Primary School principal, described the feeling when it was announced that her school was one of the six featured Schools on the Move Toward Excellence for 2023. Vilonia Primary raised its letter grade to a B and increased both its weighted achievement score by 24.49 points and its ESSA School Index Score by 12.63 points.

Loyd compared the school’s recipe for success to a jigsaw puzzle whose pieces finally fit. The attention begins with the kindergarteners because, as she puts it, “It’s not just a third grade test.” For some students, kindergarten at Vilonia Primary is their first social and academic experience. Kindergarten teacher Casey Stocks explains how holding expectations high helps build confidence. Her team emphasizes vocabulary, which they call “college words,” and they collaborate with first-grade teachers to create a vertical alignment of skills. Ashley Outlaw, a first grade teacher, describes how they found the right program, 95 Phonics, that works well with the Science of Reading. Having a core program that is systematic allows teachers to use the assessments as screeners, create a familiarity that carries through grade levels (such as the use of manipulatives), and achieve proper implementation with fidelity.

Vilonia Primary received a 2023 R.I.S.E. Award for its efforts to grow a strong reading program.

Whitney Hill, a second grade teacher, said the leadership and teamwork at her new school is exceptional. Vilonia School District Superintendent Douglas Adams said every teacher demonstrates outstanding leadership, and Principal Loyd praised her school’s family engagement plan. All of these pieces together spell success for Vilonia Primary’s students.

Star City High - From D to C

Star City High School is the only public high school in Lincoln County. In 2023, the school raised its letter grade to a C, its weighted achievement score by 13.61 points, and its overall ESSA School Index Score by 5.79 points.

Star City School District Superintendent Jordan Frizzell and Star City High School Principal Lezeme Winn credit their success to small town values and a community that is “all in '' with the school. Strategies such as Response to Intervention (RTI) and Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) have helped teachers hone in on the specific skills students need. Incentive programs, including an ice cream truck on campus, encouraged students to do well. Incentives were designed to reward students who moved into middle performance levels (Close and Ready), rather than just top achievers. The culture at Star City High School has shifted toward more accountability and ownership of individual progress.

Star City High School also has a strong focus on career readiness. An annual career fair brings local businesses to the school. A videography program allows students to learn while filming commercials for businesses. Along with multiple AP courses, the school offers a JAG program and has a partnership with Arkansas Tech University.

Flippin Elementary - From F to C

Located in the Ozark Mountains of north central Arkansas, Flippin Elementary School, part of the Flippin School District, has the unique distinction of being the only school to increase its public school rating by two letter grades in 2023. The school’s overall ESSA School Index score jumped from 56.98 in 2022 to 65.02 in 2023, for an increase of 8.04 points. Additionally, Flippin Elementary saw a 12.84 point increase in its weighted achievement score.

Flippin School District Superintendent Kelvin Hudson attributes this success to his teaching staff, who “became laser-focused on best practices” over the past year. He said they have fully committed to implementing W.I.N.Time 30 minutes a day with incentives for attendance, something he believes has offset learning loss from the pandemic. The school’s theme last year was “What do you see?” which encouraged observations at every level, leading to the question “What are the needs of our students?” Superintendent Hudson intentionally cultivates this familiarity with the students; he drives a school bus and comments on students’ progress when he passes them in the hall.

Flippin Elementary Principal Tracie Luttrell said, “I know the kiddos before they come here,” given the ABC Pre-K program located on the school’s campus.The district spent ESSER funds to provide extra counseling for parents in addition to students. “We try to celebrate as much as we can,” said Principal Luttrell. She also said the Kindergarten-4th grade school has received invaluable support, such as math, science, and literacy coaches, from the regional educational service cooperative.

2023 Arkansas Public School Ratings and ESSA School Index Report Highlights

Schools with an increase in Letter Grade and 5 or more points of increase in overall ESSA School Index  from 2022 to 2023)

34 schools (21 Elementary, 5 Middle School, 8 High School) increased their Letter Grade in 2023 compared to 2022 and increased their overall ESSA School Index Score by 5 or more points. Schools on the Move Towards Excellence!

• 7 schools improved from B to A
• 11 schools improved from C to B
• 10 schools improved from D to C
• 5 schools improved from F to D
• 1 schools improved from F to C

2023 Weighted Achievement Increases

Schools receive points on the ESSA School Index for each student that is close, ready, or exceeds on the state assessment.  These points are included in the calculation for the weighted achievement score.  Five hundred twenty-four (524) schools improved their Weighted Achievement Score. Improvement points between the 2021 and 2022 weighted achievement scores indicate more students are meeting grade level expectations in ELA and mathematics. Twenty-four (24) schools improved by ten (10) or more points in weighted achievement (13 Elementary, 2 Middle School, 9 High School) are listed below:

Value Added Growth

The school Value Added Growth score is a weighted average of students’ growth scores which are based on each individual student’s growth toward his/her expectation (as calculated from previous history of achievement and the current assessment). Schools that report a growth score of 80 are schools where students, on average, are growing in their learning as expected. Five hundred forty (540) schools earned 80 or more points for student growth. Schools that report a growth score above 80, particularly those that score significantly higher than other schools in the state in growth (one or two standard deviations above the mean), should be recognized for accelerating student learning. The schools listed below earned growth scores higher than 97.5% of other schools in their respective grade spans (two standard deviations (2.0 SD) or more above the mean). Great Job!

Elementary Grade Span (15 schools) - 97.5 percentile or higher in VAM (scored 86.97 or better)

Middle School Grade Span (5 schools) - 97.5 percentile or higher in VAM (scored 84.67 or better)

High School Grade Span (5 schools) - 97.5 percentile or higher in VAM (scored 84.08 or better)