Some local schools exceeded statewide averages in the 2022 state and federal accountability reports released by the Arkansas Department of Education's Division of Elementary and Secondary Education on Wednesday.
The ESSA School Index scores measure achievement and growth, graduation rate, school quality and student success under the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015.
The results reflect the impact on student learning due to the covid-19 pandemic, it was noted in the accountability reports. Under the state accountability rating scale, schools scoring 75.59 and above earn an A, those scoring between 69.94 and 75.58 earn a B, those between 63.73 and 69.93 earn a C, those between 53.58 and 63.72 earn a D, and those earning 53.57 or below earn an F.
Hardin Elementary in the White Hall School District (73.63) had the highest score among all Jefferson County campuses. That exceeded the state average of 67.33 for schools that serve kindergarten through fifth grades. Among other WHSD campuses, Gandy Elementary (66.97), Moody Elementary (71.99), Taylor Elementary (70.89), White Hall Middle School (67.38) and White Hall High School (64.11) all earned C's. The state average for grades 6-8 was 66.88, and for grades 9-12, 64.01.
None of the campuses in the Pine Bluff School District earned a grade higher than a D. Jack Robey Junior High scored 54.59, and Robert F. Morehead Middle School scored 53.76. Those schools, which now serve grades 7-9, housed grades 6-8 last school year.
Broadmoor Elementary (49.62), Matthews Elementary (50.78), Southwood Elementary (53.66), 34th Avenue Elementary (55.93), Pine Bluff High (48.32) and Dollarway High (50.9) all scored F's.
The PBSD elementary schools served grades K-5 last school year and now serve K-6. The high schools went from grades 9-12 last year to 10-12. "One thing everybody had to deal with is the post-covid academic landscape," PBSD Superintendent Barbara Warren said. "For some children, that may have meant more children who were home during the pandemic. It's no secret we've been struggling for some time."
Two PBSD schools -- 34th Avenue and Morehead, received "School on the Move Toward Excellence" awards from DESE. Dee Davis, the curriculum and instruction director for the PBSD, said the letter grades and accountability scores are what the public will see rather the small gains each school makes.
Davis pointed out the district's gains in English language arts (English, reading and writing) between grades 3-10 as examples. Each grade level improved between 1% and 8% in the amount of students achieving benchmarks.
"Sustainable, visible change takes three to five years at best," Davis said. "The scores are not based on whether we got a sufficient number of students reaching the benchmarks."
Davis said parents can help schools improve ESSA scores by sending children to school daily to earn points for attendance.
In the Watson Chapel School District, Coleman Elementary (54.55), L.L. Owen Elementary (57.94) and Watson Chapel High (52.91) earned F's. Edgewood Elementary (58.97) and Watson Chapel Junior High (54.08) scored D's. Edgewood houses grades K-1, Owen grades 2-3, Coleman 4-6, the junior high 7-9 and the high school 10-12.
Friendship Aspire Academy Pine Bluff Elementary, which served grades K-3 last year, scored 67.48 for a C. Fourth-graders now attend Friendship. No score was available for Friendship Aspire Academy Southeast Campus, which is phasing out its high school campus with its final senior class this year. The campus is regrowing with fifth graders attending this year to alleviate overflow at the elementary school and will add a grade level each year.
Pine Bluff Lighthouse Elementary (51.48), which serves grades K-6, and Pine Bluff Lighthouse Middle School (51.32), which includes grades 7-8, earned F's.