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School report cards released Tuesday, May 13, 2008 By John Lyon Arkansas News Bureau LITTLE ROCK - Information on student test scores, teacher pay, per-student spending, dropout rates and many other subjects is contained in the newly released 2007 report cards for Arkansas schools. The state Board of Education noted the release of the annual report cards at its regular monthly meeting Monday. The report cards, which include information on individual districts as well as statewide data, can be viewed online. "We are rated in "Education Week" by the quality of what's in our report card. This year our rating was 90 percent in accountability, so we're really pleased with what we have," Assistant Education Commissioner Charity Smith told the board. The report cards show that Arkansas students scored at a proficient level on standardized tests in higher percentages in 2007 than the previous year in 11 out of 15 testing categories. The biggest statewide increase was in sixth grade math, with 69.4 percent of students scoring at proficient - meaning at their grade level - or above in 2007 compared to 58.7 percent in 2006. The percentages of students scoring at proficient or above dropped in three categories: fourth grade literacy, eighth grade literacy and Algebra 1 end-of-course exams. The biggest drop was in fourth grade literacy, going from 63 percent in 2006 to 59.6 percent in 2007. On geometry end-of-course exams, 60 percent of students scored at proficient or above in both years. Students showed the greatest proficiency in third grade math, with 75.2 percent of students scoring at proficient or above. Eighth grade math was the area of least proficiency, with only 49.1 scoring at proficient or above - although this was an improvement from 44.9 percent in 2006. Also Monday, the state Board of Education voted 5-1 to place the Mineral Springs School District on fiscal distress status. The district has had declining balances for the last three years, Assistant Education Commissioner Bobbie Davis told the board. The board also recognized two principals, Roger Hill of Kirksey Middle School in Rogers and Debbie Heath of Wynne Primary School in Wynne, for achieving master school principal status. Hill and Heath are graduates of the second class of the three-year Arkansas Leadership Academy's Master Principal Program, created in 2003 by an act of the state Legislature. "All eyes will be upon you ... as you continue to move forward in this endeavor, because you're blazing new trails, setting new expectations for the leadership in this state," Education Commissioner Ken James said. Assistant Education Commissioner Beverly Williams reported that under an agreement with the Office of Chinese Language Council International, up to five teachers from China will come to Arkansas in July for training, then spend two years in the state as licensed teachers of Chinese. The districts where the teachers will be assigned will be chosen from eight districts that have an expressed an interest in the program: Greenwood, Harrisburg, Hot Springs, Northeast Arkansas Educational Cooperative, Northwest Arkansas Educational Cooperative, Waldron, Watson Chapel and Wynne/Cross County. ------- On the Net: Arkansas School Performance Report www.arkansased.org |
