State lists schools’ achievement results

The Arkansas Department of Education last week announced the performance status for the state’s public schools based on the results of the 2013 Benchmark and End-of-Course exams.

The vast majority of the state’s schools — 793 — are labeled as “needs improvement,” a classification that means a school missed its ever-increasing annual achievement targets. Arkansas Education Commissioner Tom Kimbrell stated that the label is not an indication of a failing school or poor-performing schools.

There were 137 schools that are labeled this year as “achieving,” meaning those schools either met their achievement targets or their achievement levels exceed 90 percent proficient.

There are seven “achieving” schools in Little Rock: Parkview High and Brady, Forest Park, Jefferson, Wilson, Terry and Don R. Roberts elementary schools.

In North Little Rock, Boone Park and Glenview elementary schools are classified as “achieving,” as is College Station Elementary in the Pulaski County Special School District.

As for Pulaski County-area charter schools, Academics Plus Charter School and e-Stem Public Charter School Elementary made the “achieving” list.

Elsewhere in central Arkansas, Southside Elementary in Cabot was the only Cabot campus on the list. Ellen Smith Elementary and Carolyn Lewis Elementary were on the list from Conway, as was Bethel Middle School in Bryant.

The complete list of schools and their accountability status is available on the Education Department’s website at www.arkansased. org.