By RICK KRON
Leader staff writer
Lonoke Middle School and Ahlf Junior High in Searcy are two of the best schools in the state based on the recently released Algebra I end-of-course test scores.
The Algebra I test is a high-stakes, state-required exam. It is high stakes because most students who score below basic on the exam will have to repeat the course regardless of their report-card grade.
But students at Beebe Junior High don’t have to worry. They all scored proficient or advanced on the test.
The students at Lonoke and in Searcy did even better as all the students who took the test scored advanced. Lonoke and Searcy are two of just five schools in state that had all of their students score advanced.
Test scores on the Algebra I exam fall into one of four categories: Advanced, proficient, basic or below basic.
On the troubling end of the math spectrum is Jacksonville High School, where only four out of 10 passed the test and 18 percent scored below basic.
The Algebra I exam is one of three end-of-course tests required by the state. The other two are biology and geometry. Neither of them are high stakes, so a poor score doesn’t mean repeating the course.
In geometry, all the students taking the test at Cabot Junior High North and South scored proficient or better. Students at North Pulaski and the Lighthouse College Prep Academy were at the bottom of area schools, scoring 60 and 61 percent respectively.
In biology, Searcy had 65 percent of its students at proficient or advanced, while Jacksonville had just 18 percent make the cut.
Here is a closer look at area school results:
ALGEBRA I
All students at Beebe Junior High School who took the Algebra I end-of-course exam scored either proficient or advanced. At the high school, 77 percent scored proficient or better and 5 percent scored below basic. Most of the 5 percent will have to repeat the course.
In Searcy, not only did all the Ahlf Junior High students taking the test pass, they all scored advanced. At the high school, 82 percent were proficient or advanced with 2 percent scoring below basic.
Lonoke Middle School also had 100 percent of their students taking the test score advanced. At the high school, 89 percent were proficient or advanced while 4 percent were below basic.
England High School had 48 percent score proficient or advanced and 13 percent scored below basic.
Students at Cabot Junior High South and Cabot Junior High North tied with 84 percent scoring proficient or advanced. Both had just 1 percent score below basic. At Cabot’s Academic Center for Excellence, 50 percent were proficient, none were advanced and 19 percent were below basic.
Students taking the high-stakes test at Jacksonville Middle School were 80 percent proficient or advanced and 2 percent scored below basic. At the high school, just 39 percent were proficient or advanced and 18 percent were below basic.
Sylvan Hills Middle School had 92 percent score proficient or advance, but, at the high school, is was 67 percent with 9 percent scoring below basic.
North Pulaski High had 54 percent score proficient or better, and 16 percent fell below basic.
Of the students taking the test at Lisa Academy North, 95 were proficient or advanced and none were below basic.
The test was given at three of the Jacksonville Lighthouse campuses. At the middle school, 73 percent were proficient or advanced with none below basic. At the upper academy, 81 percent made the cut and 3 percent were below basic. But, at the college prep campus, just 52 percent scored proficient or advanced while 17 percent were below basic.
GEOMETRY
Of the Beebe High School students who took the test, 77 percent scored proficient or better.
At Searcy, 93 percent of the students who took the test scored proficient or advanced and none were below basic.
At Lonoke High School, 68 percent were proficient or better. England High School had 63 percent make the cut and Carlisle had 74 percent of its students taking the test score proficient or better.
All students taking the test at Cabot Junior High North and Cabot Junior High South scored proficient or advanced. At the high school, it dropped to 81 percent proficient or better.
Jacksonville High School had 65 percent score proficient or better, while Sylvan Hills was at 66 percent and North Pulaski came in at 60 percent proficient or better.
Nearly all — 95 percent — of the students taking the test at Lisa Academy Middle scored proficient or advanced, but that fell to 69 percent at its high school.
Of the students taking the test at Jacksonville’s Lighthouse College Prep Academy, 61 percent scored proficient or advanced.
BIOLOGY
At Beebe High School, 54 percent of the students taking the end-of-course biology test scored proficient or advanced.
Among Searcy students taking the test, 65 percent scored proficient or better.
Lonoke had more at the basic level than the proficient and above levels. Of those taking the test, 43 percent were proficient or better while 45 percent were basic.
England had none scoring advanced, 25 percent at the proficient level, 48 percent basic and 27 percent were below basic.
At Carlisle High School, 54 percent scored proficient or better.
Cabot High School students were 61 percent proficient or advanced. But just 31 percent made the cut at the Academic Center for Excellence.
Of those taking the test at Jacksonville High School, 18 percent scored proficient or advanced, 43 percent basic and 39 percent below basic. Sylvan Hills didn’t do much better. It had 29 percent at proficient or better, 44 percent basic and 26 percent below basic.
North Pulaski High School students taking the test were 36 percent proficient or better, 44 percent basic and 20 percent below basic.
None of the students taking the test at Lisa Academy North scored proficient or advanced while 63 percent were basic and 38 percent were below basic.
Students at the Lighthouse College Prep Academy were 28 percent proficient, 52 percent basic and 20 percent below basic.
Editor’s note: This is part of an ongoing series taking an in-depth look at the results of this year’s state-mandated testing of elementary, middle school and high school students.
