Preliminary ACT Aspire results are out for 2017-18, but difficult to find for English and Reading.
However, thanks to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, scores (by schools, grades) are searchable here: http://www.arkansasonline.com/2018act
This is the third year of ACT Aspire as the summative test for Arkansas’s Grades 3 through 10 students. In 2015, it was chosen by the Governor and confirmed by a split vote of the Arkansas State Board of Education to replace PARCC.
Since a consensus among disparate groups is that Grade 3 Reading is the greatest determinant of future success/failure, here’s how the state-controlled Little Rock School District is doing on that front.
Percentage of Students Meeting/Exceeding Readiness in Reading (Grade 3 in Bold)
| LRSD School | 2015-16 | 2016-17 | 2017-18 | 1-Year Growth/Decline | 2-Year Growth/Decline |
| Bale 3rd | 16.30 | 13.70 | 14.49 | +.79 | -1.81 |
| Bale 4th | 13.00 | 16.30 | 24.36 | +8.06 | +11.36 |
| Bale 5th | 16.10 | 7.30 | 7.25 | -0.05 | -8.85 |
| *Baseline 3rd | 23.40 | 10.70 | 11.11 | +0.41 | -12.29 |
| Baseline 4th | 21.69 | 19.60 | 20.83 | +1.23 | -0.86 |
| Baseline 5th | 2.20 | 18.80 | 5.77 | -13.03 | +3.57 |
| Booker 3rd | 28.20 | 22.10 | 30.44 | +8.34 | +2.24 |
| Booker 4th | 22.80 | 27.60 | 30.68 | +7.88 | +7.88 |
| Booker 5th | 32.00 | 24.80 | 29.73 | +4.93 | -2.27 |
| Brady 3rd | 8.50 | 13.80 | 18.03 | +4.23 | +9.53 |
| Brady 4th | 9.50 | 22.60 | 21.92 | -0.78 | +12.42 |
| Brady 5th | 19.20 | 22.10 | 22.22 | +0.12 | +3.02 |
| *Carver 3rd | 25.60 | 30.00 | 32.61 | +2.61 | +7.01 |
| Carver 4th | 22.70 | 37.70 | 49.06 | +11.36 | +22.36 |
| Carver 5th | 44.70 | 31.70 | 36.74 | +5.04 | -7.96 |
| *Chicot 3rd | NA | 18.70 | 19.15 | +0.45 | NA |
| Chicot 4th | NA | 16.70 | 20.18 | +3.48 | NA |
| Chicot 5th | NA | 17.00 | 10.71 | -6.29 | NA |
| Dodd 3rd | 8.70 | 26.50 | 24.39 | -2.11 | +15.69 |
| Dodd 4th | 13.60 | 20.90 | 20.00 | -0.90 | +6.40 |
| Dodd 5th | 15.10 | 8.40 | 23.33 | +14.93 | +8.23 |
| Don Roberts 3rd | 67.40 | 66.60 | 68.87 | +2.27 | +1.48 |
| Don Roberts 4th | 77.80 | 72.60 | 68.55 | -4.05 | -9.25 |
| Don Roberts 5th | 58.40 | 66.40 | 67.07 | +0.67 | +8.67 |
| *Forest Heights STEM 3rd | 43.80 | 43.60 | 52.78 | +9.18 | +4.98 |
| Forest Heights STEM 4th | 62.00 | 51.50 | 49.33 | -2.17 | -12.67 |
| Forest Heights STEM 5th | 47.80 | 45.70 | 53.62 | +7.92 | +5.82 |
| Forest Park 3rd | 62.70 | 62.70 | 70.27 | +7.57 | +7.57 |
| Forest Park 4th | 78.60 | 71.60 | 66.13 | -5.47 | -12.47 |
| Forest Park 5th | 59.30 | 68.60 | 62.16 | -6.44 | +2.86 |
| *Fulbright 3rd | 41.50 | 42.40 | 53.61 | +11.21 | +12.11 |
| Fulbright 4th | 42.60 | 43.60 | 41.30 | -2.30 | -1.30 |
| Fulbright 5th | 33.30 | 35.00 | 44.05 | +9.05 | +10.75 |
| *Gibbs 3rd | 51.10 | 69.60 | 43.75 | -25.85 | -7.35 |
| Gibbs 4th | 53.30 | 56.50 | 56.10 | -0.40 | +2.80 |
| Gibbs 5th | 41.30 | 32.60 | 34.88 | +2.28 | -6.42 |
| Jefferson 3rd | 61.00 | 71.40 | 53.32 | -18.08 | -7.68 |
| Jefferson 4th | 42.60 | 61.60 | 72.86 | +11.26 | +30.26 |
| Jefferson 5th | 25.60 | 50.00 | 63.83 | +13.83 | +38.23 |
| M. L. King 3rd | 21.60 | 24.50 | 31.67 | +7.17 | +10.07 |
| M. L. King 4th | 40.80 | 28.10 | 25.00 | -3.10 | -15.80 |
| M. L. King 5th | 27.80 | 35.50 | 17.57 | -17.93 | -10.23 |
| Mabelvale 3rd | 23.60 | 21.50 | 20.00 | -1.5 | -3.6 |
| Mabelvale 4th | 7.40 | 22.20 | 20.73 | -1.47 | -13.33 |
| Mabelvale 5th | 7.50 | 14.10 | 12.20 | -1.90 | +4.70 |
| McDermott 3rd | 33.40 | 20.40 | 22.45 | +2.05 | -10.95 |
| McDermott 4th | 25.60 | 28.60 | 22.64 | -5.96 | -2.96 |
| McDermott 5th | 17.60 | 20.00 | 20.76 | +0.76 | +3.16 |
| Meadowcliff 3rd | 18.80 | 16.00 | 17.39 | +1.39 | -1.41 |
| Meadowcliff 4th | 11.30 | 24.50 | 28.57 | +4.07 | +17.27 |
| Meadowcliff 5th | 6.70 | 11.60 | 25.00 | +13.40 | +18.30 |
| Otter Creek 3rd | 28.40 | 25.90 | 23.88 | -2.02 | -4.52 |
| Otter Creek 4th | 31.20 | 28.70 | 33.75 | +5.05 | +2.55 |
| Otter Creek 5th | 26.00 | 26.10 | 22.64 | -3.46 | -3.36 |
| *Pulaski Heights 3rd | 50.00 | 45.60 | 47.62 | +2.02 | -2.38 |
| Pulaski Heights 4th | 58.80 | 42.80 | 60.00 | +17.2 | +1.2 |
| Pulaski Heights 5th | 42.60 | 50.90 | 51.79 | +0.89 | +9.19 |
| Rockefeller 3rd | 19.30 | 24.50 | 23.68 | -0.82 | +4.38 |
| Rockefeller 4th | 23.70 | 18.40 | 27.91 | +9.51 | +4.21 |
| Rockefeller 5th | 13.60 | 20.60 | 15.91 | -4.69 | +2.31 |
| *Romine 3rd | 13.30 | 23.10 | 12.50 | -10.6 | -0.8 |
| Romine 4th | 12.80 | 17.90 | 14.29 | -3.61 | +1.49 |
| Romine 5th | 20.00 | 3.20 | 16.67 | +13.47 | -3.33 |
| *Stephens 3rd | 16.90 | 19.10 | 5.13 | -13.97 | -11.77 |
| Stephens 4th | 13.90 | 17.70 | 21.59 | +3.89 | +7.69 |
| Stephens 5th | 12.50 | 15.90 | 11.82 | -4.08 | -0.68 |
| Terry 3rd | 44.90 | 26.10 | 44.23 | +17.13 | -0.67 |
| Terry 4th | 48.20 | 44.40 | 43.64 | -0.76 | -4.56 |
| Terry 5th | 25.40 | 29.70 | 32.14 | +2.44 | +6.74 |
| Wakefield 3rd | 16.30 | 22.50 | 18.89 | -3.61 | +2.59 |
| Wakefield 4th | 16.30 | 19.10 | 25.25 | +8.95 | +8.95 |
| Wakefield 5th | 15.60 | 13.60 | 14.46 | +0.86 | -1.14 |
| Washington 3rd | 19.70 | 15.90 | 2.82 | -13.08 | -16.88 |
| Washington 4th | 11.50 | 17.00 | 5.09 | -11.91 | -6.41 |
| Washington 5th | 14.10 | 10.50 | 25.00 | +14.5 | +10.90 |
| Watson 3rd | 11.30 | 17.10 | 7.14 | -9.96 | -4.16 |
| Watson 4th | 9.90 | 16.20 | 23.46 | +7.26 | +13.56 |
| Watson 5th | 4.40 | 9.60 | 15.29 | +5.69 | +11.19 |
| *Western Hills 3rd | 31.10 | 14.20 | 25.00 | +10.8 | -6.1 |
| Western Hills 4th | 26.90 | 27.50 | 27.45 | -0.05 | -0.55 |
| Western Hills 5th | 12.90 | 25.90 | 26.67 | -0.77 | +13.77 |
| *Williams 3rd | 44.10 | 55.60 | 56.41 | +0.81 | +12.31 |
| Williams 4th | 65.50 | 54.80 | 60.26 | +5.46 | -6.24 |
| Williams 5th | 48.40 | 57.90 | 48.53 | -9.37 | +0.13 |
*RISE (Reading Initiative for Student Success)
Grade 3 Takeaways:
- 28 Elementary School Third Grades
- 17 Improved Between 2016-17 and 2017-18 (1 Year)
- 12 Improved Between 2015-16 and 2017-18 (2 Years)
- 9 Improved in Both 1-Year and 2-Year
- 11 Declined Between 2017-17 and 2017-18 (1 Year)
- 16 Declined Between 2015-16 and 2017-18 (2 Years)
- 8 Declined in Both 1-Year and 2-Year
- Largest 1-Year Improvement:
- Terry +17.13
- Fulbright +11.21
- Western Hills +10.8
- Largest 2-Year Improvement:
- Dodd +15.69
- Williams +12.31
- Fulbright +12.11
- King +10.07
- Largest 1-Year Decline
- Gibbs -25.85
- Jefferson -18.08
- Stephens -13.97
- Washington -13.08
- Romine -10.6
- Largest 2-Year Decline
- Washington -16.88
- Baseline -12.29
- Stephens -11.77
- McDermott -10.95
- Greatest Percentage 2-Year Improvement
- Dodd +180.34%
- Bale +112.18%
- King +46.62%
- Greatest Percentage 2-Year Decline
- Washington -85.69%
- Stephens -69.64%
- Baseline -52.52%
And what of Middle Schools?
| LRSD School | 2015-16 | 2016-17 | 2017-18 | 1-Year Growth/Decline | 2-Year Growth/Decline |
| Dunbar 6th | 24.0 | 30.0 | 18.9 | -11.1 | -5.1 |
| Dunbar 7th | 24.3 | 24.10 | 17.02 | -7.08 | -7.28 |
| Dunbar 8th | 38.9 | 41.50 | 32.55 | -8.95 | -6.35 |
| Forest Heights STEM 6th | 65.4 | 61.6 | 59.29 | -2.31 | -6.11 |
| Forest Heights STEM 7th | 63.5 | 67.10 | 61.96 | -5.14 | -1.54 |
| Forest Heights STEM 8th | 55.3 | 72.8 | 71.91 | -0.89 | +16.61 |
| Henderson 6th | 18.10 | 18.9 | 13.94 | -4.96 | -4.16 |
| Henderson 7th | 20.10 | 15.0 | 12.72 | -2.28 | -7.38 |
| Henderson 8th | 26.4 | 34.6 | 27.19 | -7.41 | +0.79 |
| Mabelvale 6th | 11.4 | 19.5 | 23.00 | +3.5 | +11.6 |
| Mabelvale 7th | 15.6 | 14.0 | 19.68 | +5.68 | +4.08 |
| Mabelvale 8th | 31.0 | 32.5 | 25.26 | -7.24 | -5.74 |
| Mann 6th | 39.0 | 38.4 | 29.89 | -8.54 | -9.11 |
| Mann 7th | 37.9 | 36.6 | 37.70 | -1.1 | -0.2 |
| Man 8th | 42.30 | 44.7 | 46.88 | +2.18 | +4.58 |
| Pinnacle View 6th | NA | 54.3 | 63.07 | +8.77 | NA |
| Pinnacle View 7th | NA | NA | 42.86 | NA | NA |
| Pulaski Heights 6th | 39.5 | 41.6 | 49.25 | +7.65 | +9.75 |
| Pulaski Heights 7th | 41.3 | 42.8 | 37.84 | -4.96 | -3.46 |
| Pulaski Heights 8th | 53.6 | 50.9 | 53.60 | +2.7 | 0 |
And High Schools?
| LRSD School | 2015-16 | 2016-17 | 2017-18 | 1-Year Growth/Decline | 2-Year Growth/Decline |
| Central 9th | 41.70 | 43.8 | NA | NA | NA |
| Central 10th | 44.10 | 41.5 | NA | NA | NA |
| Fair 9th | 13.0 | 15.4 | 8.76 | -6.64 | -4.24 |
| Fair 10th | 12.4 | 12.9 | 10 | -2.9 | -2.4 |
| Hall 9th | 8.7 | 10.5 | 12.01 | +1.96 | +3.31 |
| Hall 10th | 6.8 | 11.9 | 7.02 | -4.88 | +0.22 |
| McClellan 9th | 11.0 | 13.8 | 10.68 | -3.12 | -0.32 |
| McClellan 10th | 9.1 | 14.0 | 13.87 | -0.13 | +4.77 |
| Parkview 9th | 36.9 | 44.7 | 34.75 | -9.95 | -2.15 |
| Parkview 10th | 28.9 | 44.3 | 29.64 | -14.66 | +0.74 |
Across the district, over the past two years, some schools have improved in each grade:
- Brady
- Dodd
- Rockefeller
- Hall
While others have declined in each grade:
- Dunbar
- Fair
Unacceptably, some schools’ grade percentage of students meeting/exceeding readiness in Reading is in single digits, at least 32 points below an abysmal 2016-17 state average of 41%:
- Bale 5th 7.25%
- Baseline 5th 5.77%
- Stephens 3rd 5.13%
- Washington 3rd 2.82%
- Washington 4th 5.09%
- Watson 3rd 7.14%
- Fair 9th 8.76%
- Hall 10th 7.02%
Even though the district is in state control, only eleven of 28 elementary schools participated in the Arkansas Department of Education’s RISE (Reading Initiative for Student Success). By contrast, 16 of Springdale’s 18 elementary schools participated in the grades K-2 professional development.
Some building leaders in the district are self-identifying as “Turnaround Principals.” Data show their already under-performing schools have indeed been turned around. Unfortunately, many times it is in the wrong direction.
We understand that it was not appointees of the current Governor who thankfully voted to intervene in the Little Rock School District. It is, however, the appointees of the current Governor who are charged with turning around a district which has generationally failed its students, families, community and state.
When the largest and richest district in Arkansas history is controlled by the Commissioner of Education, Arkansas Department of Education, and State Board of Education, it betrays both the RISE Initiative and Student-focused Education to allow adults to continue to continue to deny basic literacy to generations of students.
It also sets a terrible example for the rest of the state’s districts and charters.
Perhaps most egregiously, the same associate superintendents in charge of elementary, middle and high schools when the state took over the district – because of Academic Distress in elementary (1), middle (2) and high schools (3) – are still in charge of their respective areas. It’s akin to bringing in Chad Morris, but keeping all of Bret Bielema’s assistants.
Disruption is long overdue and must come boldly, swiftly and competently. If not, failure in the Little Rock School District will have three authors – local, federal and state.