By RICK KRON
Leader staff writer
All the third graders at Stagecoach Elementary in Cabot scored proficient or advanced on the math portion of the state-mandated Benchmark exams given to third through eighth graders in April.
Those same third graders also blew past the state average in literacy with 93 percent of them scoring proficient or advanced.
Mountain Springs, Magness Creek and Northside, all in Cabot, also did well, along with third graders from England.
The state average in math, after testing 35,000 students, is 85 percent proficient or advanced in math and 76 percent in literacy.
The annual test is used to see how well students know their grade-level math, reading, writing and grammar skills. Scores fall into four categories: Advanced, proficient, basic or below basic. If a school, as a whole, does not do well, it can be placed on the state’s “Needs improvement” list.
At the fourth-grade level, Arnold Drive Elementary was at the top in the Pulaski County Special School District and in the area with a proficiency rate of 91 percent in math and 95 in literacy. Cabot’s Mountain Springs, Stagecoach, Northside and Southside also did well.
Cabot Superintendent Tony Thurman praised his teachers and administrators for the solid test scores.
“It starts in the classroom,” Thurman said. “Our teachers don’t teach a class of 25; they teach 25 individuals.” He added that teachers use different styles, strategies and methods to impart knowledge.
“Our teachers go above and beyond, teaching life skills and offering a host of different activities that we pray shows up in good Benchmark scores.”
Here is how all area third and fourth graders fared on the math and literacy portions of the annual Bench-mark exam:
THIRD GRADE
Beebe Elementary third-grade students were 82 percent proficient or advanced in math and at 75 percent in literacy. Badger Elementary was 83 percent proficient or better in math and at 78 percent in literacy.
In Searcy, Sidney Deener students were 66 percent proficient or better in math and fell to 64 percent in literacy. McRae was 89 percent proficient or better in math and, in literacy, 76 percent made the cut. Westside had 88 percent make the grade in math, and 85 percent were proficient or better in literacy.
Lonoke Elementary students were 74 percent proficient or better in math and at 77 percent in literacy. England students were at a strong 95 percent proficient or advanced in math and at 84 percent in literacy. Carlisle was at 90 percent in math and at 80 percent in literacy.
In Cabot, Eastside students were 89 percent proficient or advanced in math and at 88 percent in literacy. Central had 90 percent of its students make the cut in math and were at 87 percent in literacy. Westside had 83 percent of its third graders score proficient or better in math, and 77 percent did likewise in literacy. Southside was at 93 percent in math and at 89 percent in literacy.
Cabot’s Northside students were 81 percent proficient or better in math but fell to 68 percent in literacy. Ward Central was at 88 percent in math and at 84 percent in literacy. Magness Creek hit the 92 percent mark in math, and 84 percent scored proficient or better in literacy.
All the third graders at Stagecoach Elementary scored proficient or better in math, and 93 percent did the same in literacy. Mountain Springs was at 95 percent in math, and 86 percent made the cut in literacy.
In the Pulaski County Special School District, Bayou Meto third graders were 92 percent proficient or advanced in math, and 73 percent did likewise in literacy. Clinton Elementary had 72 proficient or better in math and 79 percent in literacy. Warren Dupree had 76 percent of its third graders make the grade in math, and 65 percent did the same in literacy.
Harris Elementary had 66 percent at proficient or better in math and 62 percent likewise in literacy. Tolleson was at 80 percent in math and at 77 percent in literacy.
Sherwood Elementary saw 83 percent of its students do well in math and 71 percent in do well literacy. Sylvan Hills was 80 percent proficient or better in math and 78 percent likewise in literacy. Cato Elementary had 84 percent make the grade in math, and 78 percent did the same in literacy. Pinewood was at 67 percent in math and at 61 percent in literacy.
Arnold Drive had 91 percent of its students score proficient or better in math, and 85 percent did the same in literacy.
PCSSD’s Oakbrooke was 71 percent proficient or advanced in math and 70 percent in literacy. Murrell Taylor had 67 percent make the cut in math and 66 percent score proficient or better in literacy.
Lisa Academy North was 92 percent proficient or better in math and 75 percent likewise in literacy.
Jacksonville’s Lighthouse Academy scored 88 percent proficient or advanced in math but fell to 60 percent in literacy.
FOURTH GRADE
Beebe Elementary was 76 percent proficient or better in math and 88 percent in literacy. Badger third graders were 70 percent proficient or better in math and 81 percent likewise in literacy.
Searcy students at South-west Middle School scored 73 percent proficient or better in math and 84 percent in literacy.
Lonoke was at 59 percent in math and at 71 percent in literacy. England scored 64 percent proficient or advanced in math, and 71 percent made the cut in literacy. Carlisle was at 70 percent for math and at 87 percent in literacy.
Cabot’s Eastside Elemen-tary scored 85 percent proficient or better in math and 94 percent in literacy. Central was at 78 percent in math and at 91 percent in literacy. Westside was at 78 percent proficient or better in math and at 82 percent in literacy.
At Southside, 88 percent of the students made the cut in math, and 91 percent did so in literacy. Northside saw 83 percent of its students score proficient or advanced in math and 90 percent likewise in literacy.
Ward Central had 76 percent of its fourth graders score proficient or advanced in math, and 82 percent did the same in literacy. Magness Creek was at 87 percent in math and at 88 percent in literacy. Stagecoach was 88 percent proficient or better in math and 89 percent in literacy. Mountain Springs was 85 percent proficient or better in math and 91 percent did likewise in literacy.
In PCSSD, Bayou Meto fourth graders scored 84 percent proficient or better in math, and 86 percent did the same in literacy.
Clinton Elementary was at 72 percent proficient in math and at 84 percent proficient in literacy. Warren Dupree had 53 percent make the cut in math, and 75 percent did so in literacy. Harris Elementary was at 40 percent proficient or advanced in math and at 59 percent in literacy. Tolleson had 63 percent score proficient or advanced in math, and 76 percent did likewise in literacy.
Sherwood Elementary was 66 percent proficient or better in math and 85 percent in literacy. Sylvan Hills was at 73 percent in math and at 79 percent in literacy.
Cato Elementary was at 60 percent making the cut in math and at 81 percent in literacy. Pinewood was at 58 percent proficient or advanced in math and at 81 percent in literacy.
Arnold Drive had 91 percent proficient or advanced in math, and 95 percent did the same in literacy. Oakbrooke came in with 64 percent making the cut on the math exam, and 81 percent did the same in literacy. Murrell Taylor had a 52 percent proficiency rate in math and jumped to 71 percent in literacy.
Lisa Academy North had 88 percent of its students score proficient or advanced in math and 90 percent do so in literacy.
Jacksonville’s Lighthouse Charter school had 69 percent who were proficient or better in math, and 71 percent did likewise in literacy.
