‘Focus’ elementary schools see differing results in state scoring index

The Arkansas Department of Education released letter grades for the 2016-17 school year for over 1,000 schools in Arkansas last month. El Dorado’s four elementary schools saw performance gaps between them, with scores ranging from a B to two Fs.

A school’s grade was based on three criteria: weighted achievement, measuring students’ math and literacy scores on state standardized tests; growth, measuring the number of students in a given school that exceeded their expected growth rates in literacy, math and English language proficiency (for English learners); and school quality/student success, measuring student attendance, reading, science achievement and growth in science.

In the El Dorado School District, all four elementary schools are “focus” schools. Each campus focuses on a field of study, and parents are able to place their children in the school they feel would be the best fit.

The schools and their focuses are Hugh Goodwin Academy of the Arts, with a focus in fine and performing arts, Northwest Environmental Academy, with a focus in environmental science, Retta Brown Academy for Communications and Technology, with a focus in financial literacy, economics and communication and Yocum Math and Science Academy, with a focus in STEM fields.

When the school focuses were implemented in 2003 former superintendent Bob Watson said that 80 percent of instructional time would be tied to the traditional curriculum, while the other 20 percent would integrate the school’s focus into student learning.

So, how have their focuses affected each of the elementary schools in the district?

Hugh Goodwin Academy of the Arts

At Hugh Goodwin, arts education is integrated into daily instruction, said Principal Connie Reed.

“It’s really making sure that you’re including all the senses, your five senses … Whether it is art, or music, or some type of drama that kids are acting out, trying to create some kind of activity and connect it with whatever subject [teachers] are teaching,” Reed said.

Students use music as mnemonic devices, perform in yearly productions and have club meetings that emphasize their focus, using those activities to merge daily instruction with arts education.

In addition to their extracurricular activities, Reed says they also have a robust academic program. Third-graders mentor their kindergarten classmates on coding and fourth-graders will go to kindergarten classrooms to share creative writing assignments with their younger classmates.

“You can build that relationship and bond and so they can see good behavior in the bigger kids,” Reed said.

They also have academic interventions for students that may be falling behind in core subjects.

Students practice small group reading daily in class, and a math coach works with students who are falling behind in math by working with them in small groups.

Reed said Hugh Goodwin is fortunate to have a lot of parental involvement. Their parent-teacher association tries to meet every month, but makes sure to meet at least four times a year. Parents will also volunteer in classrooms, tutoring students or acting as teachers’ aides.

Asked what Hugh Goodwin’s best measure of success is, Reed couldn’t limit herself to one answer.

“I think the enthusiasm is a strength, the feeling when you walk in this building. I have very seasoned teachers, they’re just excited, they’re just excellent and they’re very passionate about their jobs,” she said.

Reed also said Hugh Goodwin staff pushes students to surpass grade level standards if they’ve shown the capability to. For example, if a second grader is reading and comprehending at a fifth-grade level, that student will be encouraged to continue reading at that higher level.

“It’s really not treating every child the same, but giving every child exactly what they need, whether it’s enrichment or remediation,” Reed said.

Hugh Goodwin received a B grade from the state.

Northwest Environmental Academy

Northwest also has integrated instruction, this time involving environmental science studies.

“We kind of think about the Earth and we think about recycling and making our planet better,” said Northwest Principal Sherry Floss.

Northwest’s focus in environmental studies reaches to almost all aspects of instruction. Each classes’ field trips involve environmental studies, from camp-ins and trips to the pumpkin patch to a trip to Sea Camp in their final year of elementary school.

Northwest boasts two outdoor classrooms, which Floss said are used frequently by staff. One is a typical classroom, where students sit in rows as the teacher teaches from the front of the room. The other serves as their Reader’s Theatre. Clubs will meet in the theatre and students give presentations and readings.

Students learn how to garden at Northwest, with 17 beds dedicated to their work. The school partners with the Union County Master Gardeners, who help maintain their garden beds. Students work in the gardens as part of science labs.

“We even have vegetables planted right now that will grow during the summer and before even, and the kids will get to pick carrots,” Floss said.

Floss said that even when students are focusing on environmental studies, other areas of their curriculum come into play.

“Any time you do anything – like you plant, you have to measure how deep you put it in the ground, … so there’s math. And of course you have to read to know what kind [of plant] it is. We try to do a lot of that, bring a lot of that into it,” Floss said.

Next year, Northwest will join several schools in the district participating in Dr. Tony Evans’ Adopt-a-School mentoring program. Students chosen for the program will meet with their mentors from First Assembly of God church once a week at the school.

“They have a few people that have signed up and committed, so we’re really excited. They’re supposed to be able to start it in September,” Floss said.

Floss was clear about how she thinks Northwest’s programs and activities affect student success.

“I think it just gives a positive environment for our school. And I think a positive environment makes a huge difference in the way children relate to you, as a teacher, as a principal, as their counselor. … [Students] are more willing to do what needs to be done and work hard because they know that you love them and you’re here to help them, and they want to please you. … Learning needs to be fun,” Floss said.

Northwest received a D grade from the state.

Retta Brown Academy for Communications and Technology

Retta Brown has a focus in communication and technology, which encompasses everything from finance to STEM education, said Principal Bethanie Hale.

“We are always looking for new and innovative ways to incorporate technology into our classrooms because we feel that it increases student attentiveness and engagement,” Hale said.

By next year, every student at Retta Brown should have access to an iPad or Chromebook to use in class. Hale said incorporating technology is a goal of the school. Students also have access to a 3D printer and coding education. Students write assignments on their Chromebooks, integrating technology into the classroom.

This year, the school implemented a new financial literacy program. Students earn Retta Bucks, which they can then spend in the Retta Store. They earn the money with good behavior, through helping others and with perfect attendance.

“At the beginning of the year, students did not hold on to their money – they spent everything they had each time they were in the store. As the weeks have progressed, students are really learning about saving their money for larger items and many of them will save until they have enough to purchase that coveted item from the store,” Hale said.

With help from Simmons First Bank, the school was able to create Retta Checks and registries for fourth grade students. The students can make weekly deposits into their accounts, then use the Retta Checks when they shop at the store.

“This has given us the opportunity to incorporate real-world math skills into their day consistently. The students think it is fun and some do not even realize they are learning!” Hale said.

Next year, Retta Brown will also join other schools in the district participating in the Adopt-a-School program. Crosslife Church will send mentors to the school weekly to build relationships with students who are at-risk for behavioral or academic problems.

“I am ecstatic about this opportunity for our students and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for Retta Brown. I know that this will play a huge role in our future,” Hale said.

Retta Brown also has academic interventions for students, using a Response to Intervention (RTI) plan designed to identify student’s strengths and weaknesses.

“We have seen tremendous improvements from the beginning of the year until now. We began the year with 84 students being identified as needing urgent intervention and with our RTI plan we now have 45 students. We will continue to work to decrease this number and provide all students with the interventions they need to be successful in school,” she said. That is a decrease of almost 50 percent.

“We are so proud of the progress we have seen this year and plan to keep working hard to ensure that it continues,” she said.

Asked what Retta Brown’s most important characteristics are, Hale said the environment created by a supportive staff and students has had a positive effect on the school.

“At Retta Brown, we are very fortunate to have a close bond within our school community. With the help of our staff, we have really instilled a sense of urgency in our students to take ownership of their learning,” Hale said.

Retta Brown received an F grade from the state.

Yocum Math and Science Academy

Yocum’s Math and Science focus is also incorporated into student’s daily learning, says Principal Michelle Henry.

“Yocum, as well as all El Dorado School District elementary schools, offers many great opportunities for students,” said Henry.

Kindergarteners and first graders have a weekly exploration lab, which gives students an opportunity to explore nature. Environmental groups, like the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, give presentations, and students have partnered with the Union County Master Gardeners to grow flowers and vegetables. Every student has the opportunity to take some of their yield home.

Second through fourth grade have a weekly engineering lab, where students use problem-solving skills to engineer items to solve a problem, Henry said. In addition, third and fourth graders work in STEM classrooms that integrate computer science education into learning.

Yocum has clubs that are mostly STEM based and meet monthly. They also celebrate an annual Club Day, which Henry says is a big hit.

“Clubs are a fun part of our school where students get to choose what interests them for some engaging learning. Club Day has been a part of Yocum for over 12 years. Teachers and students both look forward to this experience each school year,” Henry said.

Yocum was the first school in the district to participate in the Adopt-a-School program. Mentors from Wyatt Baptist Church visit the school weekly to spend time with the students they mentor. Mentoring coordinator Vicki Harmon said mentors are matched with students based on mutual interests and that their sessions can range from etiquette to construction lessons.

“We’re just family,” Harmon said about the children she mentors.

Henry said the special programs offered at Yocum are their biggest successes. Programs, both academic and recreational, keep students’ time at school full of activity.

Kindergarten students work with sensory tables that are updated monthly. All grades use coding robots to study computer science as part of the governor’s initiative.

There are also grade specific and schoolwide performances and art shows. Yocum’s Got Talent allows Kindergarten through fourthgrade students to showcase their talents in a variety show. Yocum’s annual art show features students’ works, which they can sell. Students get to keep the proceeds from the sale of any of their works.

Yocum’s Parent Teacher Organization is very active, Henry said. They have four officers and fundraise throughout the year to provide supplies for students.

Yocum received an F grade from the state.

Moving forward

El Dorado School District Superintendent Jim Tucker said each elementary school follows the same curriculum and teachers at each school provide excellent instruction. However, the district does plan to address the grades from the state with improvement plans currently in the works.

“Each elementary school right now is developing an improvement plan. Those improvement plans will be submitted to the school board in the July school board meeting, and then they will be placed online on our website,” Tucker said. They also plan to work with an education consultant, who will give input on the improvement plans.

In addition, over the past several years and continuing into next school year, the district has been gradually implementing “standards-based report cards.” These report cards show a student’s level of proficiency in different sections of a subject numerically. For example, under the literacy heading of the report card, one might see a grade on their child’s ability to identify rhyming words. This detailed report card shows parents and teachers exactly where a student’s academic strengths and weaknesses lie.

The report cards have come into play with the district’s RTI plans, which are in place at each elementary school. Tucker said the upcoming improvement plans will all have a strong focus in RTI. RTI programs are a multitiered approach to academic intervention that address individual students’ strengths and weaknesses according to their specific needs. The program also suggests parental involvement in their children’s educations, which the detailed report cards can help with.

Yocum, Retta Brown and Northwest will participate in the Adopt-a-School mentoring program next year, which Tucker says he thinks will help struggling students.

“I would say probably 80 percent of the students that have been in the mentoring program over at Yocum over the past three or four years, their grades have improved and their discipline [problems have] gone down,” Tucker said, adding that he was holding out hope that Hugh Goodwin may get “adopted” before the end of summer.

Tucker noted that the grades published last month were based on the 2016-17 school year, and that grades for this school year would not be published until next April. However, Tucker said he is always looking for ways to improve.

“There’s no one thing that’s going to be the answer to everything. I mean, it takes a lot of individual different pieces to try to make something better, or to try to make it whole,” Tucker said.