Little Rock Grade Level Reading: Opposite of RISE

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 School2015-16 2016-17 2017-181-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 School2015-162016-172017-181-Year Growth/Decline2-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 10.512.01 +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.

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