Ouachita School District
Ouachita School District remains committed to providing students with the best education to prepare them for their future. OSD Teachers hold all students accountable for high levels of academic achievement, while utilizing effective educational strategies in a conducive learning environment to ensure both present and future success. In order to prepare for and realize their educational goals for students, the OSD faculty believes continuous assessment, reflection, and planning are of utmost importance. To this end, both schools in OSD will continue to evaluate, reflect and strategically plan in order to maintain and improve the curriculum and instruction so that each school ensures the highest levels of student achievement.
To better equip both schools to meet the educational needs of all students, and ensure every student is college and career ready, the administration and faculty have reviewed school data; including, but not limited to the 2018-19 ESSA report, published by the Arkansas Department of Education, as well as results from the 2019-20 formative and interim assessments given multiple times throughout each school year. Although, due to the COVID pandemic, the state of Arkansas was not able to participate in ACT Aspire Summative Assessments last spring, preventing the availability of ESSA reports for the 2019-20 school year, OSD was still able to employ Formative Assessment results (i.e. Renaissance, ACT Aspire and NWEA) in creating annual improvement plans, and setting goals for each school. By utilizing these data from a variety of sources, Ouachita Elementary and Ouachita High School administration and faculty members have collaboratively identified areas of focus for the district, and each grade level building for the current school year. An efficient improvement plan, including goals, and involvement of all OSD K-12 students has been presented by each campus, as well as the district for the 2020-21 school year.
OSD’s improvement plan involves all students showing continuous overall growth in reading. In order to accomplish the district’s improvement objective, Ouachita High School plans for all students in grades seventh through 12th to show continued growth in all areas of reading; specifically in key ideas and details, craft and structure, and integration of knowledge. Likewise, Ouachita Elementary School also plans for students in grades kindergarten through sixth to show continued growth in all areas of reading;
most specifically creased independent reading levels. OSD provides several resources
to in insupport each of its two cam- puses, OES and OHS in the accomplishment of their school goals. Some of these resources include; but are not limited to, population. The latest construction, the Dining and Career-Tech Center on the OHS campus, will house administrative offices, an additional dining area, and a career-tech lab, and is expected to be completed before the end of the school year. The Career-Tech Center will be completed with OSD’s best and most up-to-date technology. At OES, a certified teacher has been dedicated as a Dyslexia Interventionist, who also works with OHS students as needed. And, both schools have continued providing an enrichment class established strictly for intervention or extension through daily enrich
NWEA Interim Assessments, have received professional deschool improvement. Adminisment activities, which will be
ACT Aspire Formative Asvelopment and support in all of trators have and will continue to included in the schedule for sessments, professional develthese areas, providing teachers meet weekly throughout each next year as well. opment, technology integraand staff with more in-depth school year to monitor each Finally, research indicates tion and updates; including a teaching/learning strategies, school's progress. PLC Teams
that increased school involvebuilding addition, a dedicated which they’ve incorporated on each campus have and will
ment and participation also Dyslexia Interventionist, and into unit plans to improve stucontinue to meet weekly or
results in increased student an established class period dents’ academic achievement. bi-weekly by grade level and/
achievement; consequently, scheduled strictly for intervenAll teachers of grades K-2, and or content area to discuss data
OSD provides involvement tion or extension through daily all teachers of English Lanand monitor progress toward enrichment activities. guage Arts (ELA) and Speeach goal. OSD administrative in several unique and produc
Thus far, NWEA Formacial Education in grades third team members will continue to tive student life activities and tive Assessments, and ACT through 12th have been fully work collaboratively with all functions such as: athletics,
Aspire Interim Assessments trained in the RISE initiative. faculty members to increase art, band, junior and senior have each been given to all The remainder of teachers in students' reading levels and Beta Club, choir, drama, FFA, students in grades kindergargrades 3-12 (teachers of nonoverall scores. The district will FCCLA, gifted and talented, ten through 10th grade twice ELA subjects) have received at re-evaluate its progress toward journalism, junior and senior this school year. OES is schedleast some RISE professional each goal upon the release of Student Council, and junior uled to give one additional development, and any teacher the 2020-21 ESSA reports for and senior Quizbowl. assessment of each type prior who has not been fully trained each school. OSD has been a serious to completing state required will complete the remainder of Additional resources procompetitor in many of these, summative testing. ACT Astheir RISE training this sumvided by the district also inand other areas, winning state
Malvern - Hot Spring
pire Interims and NWEA mer. OSD’s required profesclude technology purchases competitions, holding state Formative Assessments sional development includes and upgrades, the completion offices, and having severin both buildings have providing continuous teacher of a new building addition, al students who have scored
Malvern County - Hot Library Spring
indicated gains in stusupport to achieve goals in the hiring of a dedicated Dysabove 30 on the ACT Exam, dent achievement across improving grade level reading lexia Interventionist, and the
as well as allowing students the board, signifying an and comprehension. Support continuation of an established
County Malvern Library - Hot Spring
to earn college credit hours, overall improvement in for implementing LDC, Six class period scheduled strictly
and/or complete career and curriculum and instrucTraits, and RISE strategies and for intervention or extension
technical training during their
County Library
tion. initiatives will be ongoing in through daily enrichment ac
high school tenure. Moreover,
Malvern - Hot Spring
In the area of procollaboration with Dawson tivities. An adequate supply of
OHS has earned an “A” on the fessional development, Education Service Cooperative Chromebooks, and smart-carts
ESSA School Index Report, an
OSD utilizes Literacy (DESC). for which to store them, were
County Library
Design Collaborative Furthermore, OSD adminpurchased to allow for a full award for “Best Growth Scores
(LDC), Six Traits of istrators have received training Chromebook cart per grade in Math,” and recognition as a
Writing, and the AR State in Professional Learning Comlevel, as well as an extra set. National Beta School of Merit.
Reading Initiative for Student munities (PLC’s) and have The district anticipates suppleDedicated and committed to Excellence (RISE). All teachcoached teachers and staff in mental purchases of Chrometheir students, OSD will coners in the district, grades Kinthis initiative, working collabbooks in the future until there is tinue to develop and flourish in dergarten through 12th grade oratively to focus on areas of an ample supply for the student the academic arena.
The COVID-19 pandemic has not slowed down staff and administrators at Arkansas State University Three Rivers; instead, several projects are in the works at the college.
One big project is a satellite campus in Saline County. At the Saline County Career and Technical Campus ASU Three Rivers will be the educational agency.
As part of the college agreement with Saline County and the six school districts sending students to the center, the college will not spend any college tuition, fees or state appropriation at the center. The center will be funding through the school districts and the local tax base.
This center which is a satellite campus of the college’s career center in Malvern, will have 10 programs for students which include automotive technology, advanced manufacturing, construction, health sciences, HVACR, industrial equipment technologies, information technology, programming and welding.
The center is expected to open this fall and by the fall of 2022, Rook said more than 1,100 students will be enrolled.
“We’re plowing new ground,” Rook said noted that there are not many centers like this across the country. “We’re honored and privileged to be a part of this project.”
He called the project “a game changer for the state of Arkansas.”
This center will also benefit students in Hot Spring County schools. Currently, there are some Saline County students that attend the ASUTR career center in Malvern. As these student begin taking classes at the new center, there will be more room in the Malvern’s center for Hot Spring County students, Rook explained.
“We have a great career center program here and there is absolutely no intent to do anything to harm that,” Rook said.
Another huge project is the college’s reaccreditation. College officials have been in the self study writing phase for about four years and are now moving on to the group study phase.
“That (reaccreditation) is very important because we have to have that accreditation to offer federal financial aid and for our credits to transfer,” Rook said.
He mentioned that it is a good process because it causes staff to take a critical look at what they are doing each day, Rook said adding that through the process others will “discover what a good institution ASUTR is.”
ASUTR recently took on more students for concurrent credit course. Henderson State University decided they no longer wanted to offer concurrent credit and since both ASUTR and Henderson State University are both in the Arkansas State University system, ASUTR took on those students.
Because of the college is a part of the ASU system, the college staff is also in the process of rolling out a software system and a mobile application.
The software system the college currently uses is about 17 years old. The new system will have more features for a lower costs and the college will have more assistance since they are part of the ASU system.
Rook also commended all of the ASUTR staff who have worked very hard during the COVID-19 pandemic. He mentioned that they had to make a quick transition to virtual education, and they did it well.