Print this. Keep it at the ready. And the next time someone suggests that the panacea for the Little Rock School District’s ills is “local control,” give it to them.
- LRSD has seven (7) Priority Schools (among lowest 5% academically performing in state)
- 17.5% of state’s total of 40 schools
- LRSD has fifteen (15) Focus Schools (among lowest 6-10% academically performing in state)
- 18% of state’s total of 85 schools
Consider the self-reported data in the third quarter 45-Day Reports from each of the LRSD Priority Schools:
| School | % Beginning Year 2 or More Grade Levels Behind in Math | % Beginning Year 2 or More Grade Levels Behind in English Language Arts |
| Baseline | ||
| Grade 2 | 14.8% | |
| Grade 3 | 31.2% | 13% |
| Grade 4 | 31.2% | 23% |
| Grade 5 | 44.1% | 26% |
| % Beginning Year 3 or More Grade Levels Behind in Math | % Beginning Year 3 or More Grade Levels Behind in English Language Arts | |
| Cloverdale | ||
| Grade 6 | 67% | 61% |
| Grade 7 | 65% | 63% |
| Grade 8 | 63% | 65% |
| Henderson | ||
| Grade 6 | 77% | 43% |
| Grade 7 | 79% | 35% |
| Grade 8 | 78% | 29% |
| Mabelvale | ||
| Grade 6 | 69% | 33% |
| Grade 7 | 72% | 52% |
| Grade 8 | 77% | 52% |
| Fair | ||
| Grade 9 | 95% | 76% |
| Grade 10 | 97% | 67% |
| Grade 11 | ||
| Grade 12 | ||
| Hall | ||
| Grade 9 | 91.86% | 85.56% |
| Grade 10 | 90.06% | 70.55% |
| Grade 11 | ||
| Grade 12 | ||
| McClellan | ||
| Grade 9 | 78% | 75% |
| Grade 10 | 75% | 79% |
| Grade 11 | 50% | 77% |
| Grade 12 | 54% | 67% |
See the pattern? With few exceptions (e.g. Henderson’s English Language Arts), the longer the students progress in the system, the further they fall behind.
Little Rock has no elementary schools in “Academic Distress,” but fourteen of its elementary schools are among the 10% lowest academically performing schools in Arkansas.
When Academic Distress Cloverdale, Henderson and Hall are respectively receiving 67%, 77% and 91.86% of their students three or more grades below level, the pipeline is broken, and the receiving schools are not to blame.
Click the school links above for the full 45-Day Reports, which include other illuminating cause/effect information:
- Annual Student Achievement Goals
- Principal’s Narrative Report
- School Improvement Leadership Team’s Narrative Report
- Enrollment/Discipline Data
- Teacher Attendance Data
- Student Attendance Data
- Math Data
- English Language Arts Data
- School Summary of Interim Assessments
- Student Screening Data
- Summary of Educator/Student School Climate Survey
Unfortunately, no reports are provided by LRSD’s Focus Elementary Schools:
- Bale
- Chicot
- Franklin
- King
- Pulaski Heights
- Rockefeller
- Romine
- Stephens
- Wakefield
- Washington
- Watson
- Western Hills
- Wilson