IN SHORT: Scores on state benchmark tests continue to improve in math and literacy.
By RICK KRON
Leader staff writer
State benchmark exams taken by students in April in grades three through eight show students are improving in math and literacy.
Cabot, Beebe, Lonoke and Searcy continue to do better than the state averages, while Pulaski County Special School District lags behind.
The statewide tests are used to determine which schools are doing well and which ones need improvement.
The exams test to see if students are performing on grade level. Students can score either advanced, proficient, basic or below basic on the exams. Federal laws require all students to be either advanced (above grade level) or proficient (grade level) by the end of the 2013-2014 school year.
Third through sixth graders scored better in math than in literacy. Seventh graders were about even, while eighth graders turned in a better performance in literacy than in math.
Third graders did the best of the groups in math with 74 percent of them statewide scoring proficient or advanced. Eighth graders had the best scores in the state in literacy with 63 percent of them scoring proficient or advanced.
Searcy third graders beat the state average by 17 percentage points, with 91 percent of them scoring well. Cabot had 86 percent make the cut, while Beebe had 80 percent of its third graders score proficient or advanced.
“We are making sure and steady progress with student achievement in the state,” said Dr. Ken James, commissioner of education. “The trend toward higher scores on our state tests is proof that higher expectations and accountability lead to positive results.
About two-thirds of PCSSD third graders scored proficient or advanced in math.
Top literacy scores in third grade include Sidney Deener Elementary in Searcy (84 percent), 79 percent at Cabot’s Eastside Elementary and 76 percent at Magness Creek.
At the fourth-grade level, Searcy’s Westside had 90 percent of its fourth graders proficient or advanced in math and 89 percent in literacy. Magness Creek also had 90 percent proficient or advanced in math and Arnold Drive on Little Rock Air Force had 87 percent proficiency or better in math.
Top fifth-grade scores in the area belong to Arnold Drive Elementary with 81 percent proficiency in math and 89 percent in literacy. At Cabot Middle School South, 78 percent hit the mark in math and literacy.
At the sixth-grade level, 84 percent of the students in Searcy and Cabot scored proficient or advanced in math.
Third grade
At the state level, 74 percent of third graders scored proficient or advanced in math and 59 percent did the same in literacy.
At Beebe Intermediate, 80 percent of the third graders scored proficient or advanced in math, 59 percent did the same in literacy.
In Searcy at Sidney Deener Elementary, 91 percent of the third graders were proficient or advanced in math and 84 percent did the same in literacy. At McRae Elementary, 89 percent scored proficient or advanced in math and 73 percent in literacy, while at Westside Elementary, 93 percent were proficient or advanced in math and 75 percent did the same in literacy.
In Lonoke, 78 percent of the third graders made the grade in math, but just 46 percent were proficient or advanced in literacy.
In Cabot, 86 percent of the third graders across the district scored proficient or advanced in math and 73 percent did the same in literacy. At Eastside Elementary, 93 percent of the third graders made the grade in math and 79 percent did the same in literacy. At Central, 86 percent of the students were proficient or advanced in math and 72 percent did the same in literacy. At Westside, 78 percent scored well in math and 66 percent in literacy. At Southside, 84 percent scored proficient or advanced in math and 71 percent did the same in literacy. Northside had 79 percent proficient or higher in math and 77 percent in literacy. Ward Central had 81 percent score well in math and 62 percent do the same in literacy. At Magness Creek, 93 percent scored proficient or advanced in math and 76 percent did the same in literacy.
In the Pulaski County Special School District, 66 percent of the third graders scored proficient or higher in math and 53 percent did the same in literacy.
Third graders at Bayou Meto (84 percent), Clinton (78 percent), Tolleson (73 percent), Sherwood Elementary (76 percent), Sylvan Hills Elementary (86 percent), Arnold Drive (84 percent) and Oakbrooke (67 percent) beat the district average in math. But Warren Dupree (53 percent), Harris (26 percent), Jacksonville Elementary (49 percent), Cato (62 percent), Pinewood (64 percent), and Murrell Taylor (37 percent) fell below the district average in math.
In literacy, the district average was 55 percent proficient or advanced. Doing better than that were Bayou Meto (58 percent), Clinton (64 percent), Warren Dupree (63 percent), Sherwood (66 percent), Sylvan Hills (58 percent), Cato (58 percent), and Oakbrooke (63 percent).
Falling below the district average were Harris (49 percent), Jacksonville (47 percent), Pinewood (47 percent), Arnold Drive (42 percent), and Murrell Taylor (51 percent).
Fourth grade
Statewide, 65 percent of fourth graders were proficient or better in math and 59 percent did so in literacy.
At Beebe Intermediate, 81 percent of the fourth graders scored proficient or advanced in math, 73 percent did the same in literacy.
In Searcy at Sidney Deener Elementary, 78 percent of the fourth graders were proficient or advanced in math and 65 percent did the same in literacy. At McRae Elementary, 77 percent scored proficient or advanced in math and 69 percent in literacy, while at Westside Elementary, 90 percent were proficient or advanced in math and 89 percent did the same in literacy.
In Lonoke, 62 percent of the fourth graders made the grade in math and 56 percent were proficient or advanced in literacy.
In Cabot, 78 percent of the third-graders across the district scored proficient or advanced in math and 67 percent did the same in literacy. At Eastside Elementary, 84 percent of the fourth graders made the grade in math and 75 percent did the same in literacy. At Central, 65 percent of the fourth graders were proficient or advanced in literacy and 59 percent did the same in literacy. At Westside, 75 percent scored well in math and 70 percent in literacy. At Southside, 86 percent scored proficient or advanced in math and 71 percent did the same in literacy. Northside had 76 percent proficient or higher in math and 68 percent in literacy. Ward Central had 63 percent score well in math and 58 percent do the same in literacy. At Magness Creek, 90 percent scored proficient or advanced in math and 68 percent did the same in literacy.
In the Pulaski County Special School District, 59 percent of the fourth graders scored proficient or higher in math.
Fourth graders at Bayou Meto (79 percent), Clinton (67 percent), Sherwood Elementary (78 percent), Cato (62 percent), Pinewood (61 percent), Murrell Taylor (62 percent) and Arnold Drive (87 percent) beat the district average in math.
Tolleson tied with the district average at 59 percent.
But Sylvan Hills Elementary (55 percent), Oakbrooke (53 percent), Warren Dupree (51 percent), Harris (13 percent) and Jacksonville Elementary (38 percent) fell below the district average in math.In literacy, the district average was 54 percent proficient or advanced.
Doing better than that were Bayou Meto (74 percent), Clinton (60 percent), Sherwood (72 percent), Cato (64 percent), Pinewood (64 percent) and Arnold Drive (79 percent).
Falling below the district average were Warren Dupree (46 percent), Sylvan Hills (39 percent) Oakbrooke (49 percent), Harris (17 percent), Jacksonville (42 percent) and Murrell Taylor (45 percent).
Fifth grade
At the fifth-grade level across the state, 61 percent of the students score proficient or better in math and 59 percent did the same in literacy.
At Beebe Middle, 64 percent of the fifth graders scored proficient or advanced in math, 65 percent did the same in literacy.
In Searcy at Southwest Middle School, 73 percent of the fifth graders were proficient or advanced in math and 76 percent did the same in literacy.
In Lonoke, 52 percent of the fifth graders made the grade in math and 54 percent were proficient or advanced in literacy.
In Cabot, 76 percent of the fifth graders across the district scored proficient or advanced in math and 71 percent did the same in literacy. At Cabot Middle School South, 78 percent of the fifth graders made the grade in math and 78 percent did the same in literacy. At Cabot Middle School North, 74 percent of the fifth graders were proficient or advanced in math and 65 percent did the same in literacy.
In the Pulaski County Special School District, 56 percent of the fifth graders scored proficient or higher in math.
Fifth graders at Bayou Meto (76 percent), Clinton (59 percent), Tolleson (61 percent), Sherwood Elementary (59 percent), Arnold Drive (81 percent), Pinewood (65 percent) and Oakbrooke (65 percent) beat the district average in math.
But Sylvan Hills (49 percent), Warren Dupree (34 percent), Harris (48 percent), Jacksonville Elementary (35 percent), Cato (53 percent), and Murrell Taylor (49 percent) fell below the district average in math.
In literacy, the district average was 58 percent proficient or advanced.
Doing better than that were Arnold Drive (89 percent), Bayou Meto (75 percent), Clinton (65 percent), Cato (63 percent), Pinewood (68 percent) and Oakbrooke (67 percent).
Falling below the district average were Warren Dupree (35 percent), Sherwood (54 percent), Sylvan Hills (51 percent), Harris (48 percent), Jacksonville (41 percent) and Murrell Taylor (44 percent).
Sixth grade
Across the state, 68 percent of the sixth graders scored proficient or better in math and 60 percent did likewise on the literacy portion of the test.
At Beebe Middle School, 70 percent of the sixth graders scored proficient or advanced in math, 70 percent did the same in literacy.
In Searcy, 84 percent of the sixth graders were proficient or advanced in math and 80 percent did the same in literacy.
In Lonoke, 73 percent of the sixth graders made the grade in math, but just 51 percent were proficient or advanced in literacy.
In Cabot, 84 percent of the sixth graders across the district scored proficient or advanced in math and 72 percent did the same in literacy.
At Cabot Middle School South, 84 percent of the sixth graders made the grade in math and 75 percent did the same in literacy.
At Cabot Middle School North, 84 percent of the students were proficient or advanced in math and 69 percent did the same in literacy.
In the Pulaski County Special School District, 55 percent of the sixth graders scored proficient or higher in math and 50 percent did the same in literacy.
Sixth graders at the girls’ campus of the Jacksonville Middle School fell below the averages with 43 percent making the grade in math and 37 percent in literacy. On the boys campus only 38 percent of the sixth graders scored proficient or advanced in math and just 28 percent made the cut in literacy.
At Sylvan Hills Middle School, 52 percent scored proficient or advanced in math, and 53 percent did the same in literacy.
At Northwood Middle School, 66 percent made the grade in math and 59 percent did the same in literacy.
