By RICK KRON
Leader staff writer
Editor’s Note: This is the second in a series of articles examining the state-issued report cards on area schools.
Nearly 29 percent of Cabot’s schools have an “A,” according to recently released state report cards, but Superintendent Tony Thurman is still not happy with the grading system. (Related story, p. 9A.)
In a letter to Chamber of Commerce members last week, Thurman wrote, “We have some of the best performing schools in the state, top notch educators leading our children, yet a school rating system that doesn’t make sense at all can take those achievements away unless you truly understand there is much more to the story.”
One issue Thurman has is that, out of those four “A” schools – Eastside, Southside, Stagecoach and Mountain Springs Academy – three are also listed as needs improvement by the state on its other rating scale.
He called the new A to F report card grading system “confusing, misleading and very frustrating.”
According to the rankings, used for the first time this year, besides the four “A” schools, Cabot has three “B” schools and seven “C” schools.
“It is extremely difficult to understand how a school can receive more funds than any other school in the state from the Arkansas Rewards and Recognition Program and be rated a ‘C’ school. That’s exactly what happened at Cabot Junior High North.”
Thurman went on in his letter to the business community, “CJHN was recently awarded $111,833.61 for its performance on the 2014 Benchmark and end-of-course exams.”
The superintendent said nearly every one of the “C” schools in Cabot “far exceeded the state average in math and literacy.”
Besides the letter to the business leaders, Thurman also posted his concerns about the grading system on his Superintendent’s Blog, and he’s not alone in his negative feelings toward the letter grades.
Lonoke Superintendent Suzanne Bailey and Belinda Shook, the head of Beebe schools, have also fired off letters to parents and others clarifying that their schools are much better than the letter grades given to them.
The state produced a report card on each school. The reports run 16 to 20 pages and include a wealth of data, but no summary as to why a school received a certain grade, and the letter grade itself is found not on the first page of the report cards, but somewhere in the middle of all the report’s pages.
Taking an in-depth look at the state-issued report cards on Cabot and its schools, the data shows that the district spends $7,975 per student (or $8,080 as two different figures are listed) to educate them, $1,400 less than the state average. The average teacher salary at $51,013 is about $4,000 higher than the state.
In the 2013-14 school year, Cabot operated on a budget of $97.5 million. Of that, $48.3 million went toward instructional expenses, $5.2 million toward administrative costs, $5 million to extracurricular expenditures, $12.3 million for capital improvements and $4 million to debt service.
None of the report card test data shows what the state average is to see if a school may have missed its test proficiency goal, but might still be above the state average.
Here is a closer look at the report card information for each school.
CENTRAL
This elementary school with 333 students, an average class size of 18 and teachers averaging 13 years of experience, garnered 232 points on the state report card for a “C,” just eight points short of a “B.” It was also listed as a needs improvement school but under another ranking in 2011-12 was considered by the state as a “school of excellence.”
In third grade, 81 percent of the students scored proficient or advanced on the state-required literacy exam, down slightly from the previous year and 10 points below the state requirement of 91.28 percent.
In math, the students moved from 84.27 percent proficient or better to 87.3 percent, but still five points short of the state bar of 92.44 percent proficient or better.
At 86.6 percent proficient or better, fourth graders were about even on the literacy test from the year before, but close to five points shy of the state requirement of being 91.28 percent proficient or better.
In math, fourth graders fell and missed the state goal by about 15 points. In the 2013-14 school year, 77.6 percent were proficient or better compared to 85.96 percent the year before and not near the state goal of 92.44 percent.
However, the third and fourth graders did beat the state average on the norm-referenced test used to compare students nationally.
One weapons incident was reported in the 2013-14 school year and nine students were retained. All the teachers were listed as properly licensed, and 33 percent had master’s degrees.
EASTSIDE
This elementary school with 433 students, an average class size of 20 students and teachers averaging 13 years of experience, scored 283 points out of a possible 300 for an “A,” but was still listed as a needs improvement school even though three years ago it was rated a “school of excellence” by the state.
In third grade, the state said 92.94 percent of the students had to be proficient or advanced in literacy, but only 89.6 percent made that grade, down about three points from the previous year.
In math, 90.7 percent of the third graders were proficient or better in math, down four points from the previous year and about five points shy of the state goal of 95.15 percent.
In fourth grade, 93.5 percent scored proficient or better in literacy and, even though that was down about a point from the previous year, it was good enough to beat the state requirement of 92.94 percent proficient or better.
In math, the fourth graders didn’t fare as well as 85.6 percent made the grade, down two points from the previous year and slightly more than nine points short of the state-required goal.
The school’s second, third and fourth graders beat the state average on the norm-referenced test used to compare students nationally.
The school reported one staff assault, according to the report card, in the 2013-14 school year and retained seven students.
All of the school’s teachers were properly licensed and 50 percent had master’s degrees, nine points higher than the state average.
MAGNESS CREEK
This elementary school, with 378 students, an average class size of 21 students and average teacher experience at 10 years, scored 250 points for a solid “B.” It is listed as a needs improvement school, but three years ago was a “school of excellence,” according to the state.
More than 88 percent of the third graders scored proficient or better on the literacy portion of the state exam, down almost five points from the year and shy of the state-required 92.4 percent proficient or better.
In math, third graders were 95.5 percent proficient or advanced, but that still wasn’t good enough as the state wanted 96.21 percent to make the cut.
On the literacy portion of the Benchmark exam last year, 89.3 percent of the fourth-grade students were proficient or better, down about two points from the previous year and three points shy of the state bar of 92.4 percent.
In math, 88 percent of the fourth graders made the grade, down two points from the previous year and shy of the 96.21 percent required by the state.
All grade levels at the school beat the state average on the norm-referenced test used to compare students nationally.
In the 2013-14 school year, the school reported two weapons incidents, two staff assaults and two student assaults.
The school retained three students.
All of the school’s teachers are properly certified and 29 percent have master’s degrees, below the state average of 41 percent.
MOUNTAIN SPRINGS
This elementary school, with 456 students, an average class size of 21 and teachers averaging 10 years of experience, garnered 300 points, the maximum possible for a letter grade of “A,” but it was listed as a needs improvement school. Three years ago, it was also a “school of excellence,” according to the state’s ranking system used then.
On the third-grade literacy exam, 84.2 percent of the students scored proficient or better, down 11 points from the previous year and seven points shy of the state-required goal.
In math, the third graders were 92.1 percent proficient or better, but still did not meet the state-required goal of 97.13 percent for that school.
Fourth graders were 89.7 percent proficient or advanced in literacy last year, five points down from the previous year and two points off the state mark.
In math, the state-required goal was set at 97.13 proficient or better, and the fourth graders came in at 84.1 percent, down 13 points from the previous year.
On the norm-referenced test, which helps compare students nationally, all grade levels beat the state average.
The state report card listed four student assaults during the year and that four students were retained. The teachers at Mountain Springs were 100 percent certified and 26 percent had master’s degrees.
NORTHSIDE
This elementary school, with 360 students, an average class size of 20 students and teachers averaging 12 years of experience, received a score of 231 points for a “C,” nine points short of a “B.” The school was also listed as a needs improvement school. But, according to a previous scoring system used in 2011-12, the school was named as one of the “schools of excellence.”
On the third-grade Bench-mark literacy exam, 71.7 percent of third graders scored proficient or better in 2013-14, down 14 percentage points from the previous year and below the 92.6 percent expectation of the state.
In math, 86.6 percent of the students were proficient or advanced, a slight rise from the previous year, but short the 95.13 percent required by the state.
In fourth grade, more than 90 percent of the students scored proficient or better on the literacy portion of the Benchmark, but that wasn’t good enough as the state bar was set at 92.68 percent.
In math, the fourth graders fell last year to 84.6 percent proficient or better compared to the previous year’s score of 90.41 percent. The state goal was 95.13 percent.
However, the third and fourth graders did beat the state average on the norm-referenced portion of the test, which is used to compare students nationally.
It had one expulsion, and six students were retained last year. All of its teachers were 100 percent licensed, and 33 percent of the teachers had master’s degrees.
SOUTHSIDE
This elementary school with 455 students, an average class size of 22 and teachers averaging 12 years of experience garnered a perfect 300 out of 300 points from the state for an “A.” It was also listed as an achieving school and previously was a “school of excellence.”
The perfect score came even though the school didn’t reach its required goal in third-grade literacy as 90.4 percent of the students scored proficient or better, but the state goal was 90.43 percent.
In math, the third graders blew past the state requirement by three points. The third graders were 94.7 percent proficient or better, while the state requirement was at 91.59 percent.
Fourth graders eased past the state goal in literacy as 91.2 percent of them were proficient or advanced, down five points from the previous year, but above the state’s 90.43 percent threshold.
In math, 88 percent of the fourth graders were proficient or better, down five points from the previous year and missing the state mark by a little more than three points.
Every grade in the school tested better than the state average on the norm-referenced exam, which is used to compare students nationally.
In the 2013-14 school year, Southside had two weapons incidents and retained eight students.
All of the teachers were 100 percent completely certified with 22 percent holding master’s degrees.
STAGECOACH
This elementary school with 470 students, an average class size of 20 students and teachers averaging 10 years of experience received 277 points from the state for an “A,” but it was still listed as a needs improvement school, even though — like Cabot’s other elementary schools — it was a “school of excellence” three years ago.
The third graders just missed the state goal in literacy as 92.6 percent of them were proficient or better, but the state bar was set at 92.79 percent.
Third graders couldn’t get any better in math with 100 percent scoring proficient or better, besting the state goal by four points.
In fourth grade, 89.5 percent of the students were proficient or better on the literacy portion of the Benchmark exam, but the state goal was 92.79 percent.
In math, the students were 86.1 percent proficient or better, a drop of 10 points from the previous year and also 10 points below the state line of 96.03 percent.
All grades outperformed the state on the norm-referenced portion of the test, which is used to compare students nationally.
The school reported one weapons incident and one student assault and retained nine students in 2013-14. The teachers were 100 percent certified and 47 percent had master’s degrees.
WARD CENTRAL
This elementary school with 563 students, class size averaging 19 students and teachers averaging eight years experience garnered 260 points for a solid “B.” The school needed 270 points for an “A.”
Like most other Cabot schools it was listed as a needs improvement school by the state, yet three years ago the state called it a “school of excellence.”
In third grade, the students were 85.2 percent proficient or better on the literary portion of the Benchmark, two points shy of the state requirement.
In math, the third graders were 88.6 percent proficient of better, down three points from the previous year and short of the state goal of 91.18 percent.
Fourth graders were 82.7 percent proficient in literacy, up three points from the previous year, but still short of the state goal of 84.19 percent. In math, the students fell to 78.5 percent proficient or better, down from 85.42 percent the previous year and almost 13 points under the state-required goal.
Only the fourth graders bested the state in reading and math on the norm-referenced test used to make national comparisons.
The school retained 10 students in 2013-14.
The school’s teachers were 100 percent completely certified and 31 percent had master’s degrees.
WESTSIDE
This elementary school with 399 students, an average class size of 20 and teachers averaging 12 years of experience received 231 points for a “C,” nine points short of a “B” grade. It was also listed as a needs improvement school by the state but three years ago was a “school of excellence.”
In third grade, the students were 76.4 percent proficient or advanced in literacy, almost 10 points under the state bar of 86.28 percent.
In math, the third graders had 82 percent make the cut, about a point lower than the previous year and almost four points under the state requirement of 85.79 percent.
In literacy, the fourth graders were 83.1 percent proficient or better, down about seven points from the previous year and three points below the state requirement of 86.28 percent.
Fourth graders, in math, were 78.5 percent proficient or advanced, down four points from the previous year and seven points shy of the state goal.
The school’s third and fourth graders did beat the state average on the norm-referenced portion of the exam, which is used to compare students nationally.
The school reported two weapons incidents last year, along with two student assaults. Eleven students were retained.
All of the teachers were completely certified, and 35 percent have master’s degrees.
CMSS
Cabot Middle School South with 765 students, an average class size of 23 and teachers averaging 12 years of experience scored 237 points for a state grade of “C,” just three points short of a “B.” It was also listed as a needs improvement school even though it was judged as a “school of excellence” by the state three years ago.
The fifth graders blew past the state-required goals in the literacy portion of the annual Benchmark exam. In literacy, 92.9 percent of the students scored proficient or advanced, better than the 89.18 percent the state wanted.
In math, students were 88.6 percent proficient or better, up two points from the previous year, but still below the state goal of 90.5 percent.
At the sixth-grade level, 82.3 percent of the students were proficient or better, down nearly four points from the previous year and about seven points short of the state requirement.
In math, 88 percent of the sixth graders made the grade, up from the previous year, but still 2.5 points under the state requirement of 90. 5 percent.
Still, all of the grades beat the state average on the norm-referenced test used to compare students nationally. Three students were retained last year.
The school was cited for accreditation problems in 2013-14, but the report gives no details.
It didn’t have 100 percent of its teachers properly or completely certified. It had 98.2 percent of its teachers completely certified and 38 percent had master’s degrees. But, looking at the data, 2 percent did not even have bachelor’s degrees.
CMSN
Cabot Middle School North with 856 students, an average class size of 24 students and teachers averaging 11 years experience garnered 235 points for a “C,” just five points short of a “B” from the state. Like CMSS, North is also listed as a needs improvement school even though the state called it a “school of excellence” before.
In literacy, the school’s fifth graders fell from 90.77 proficient or better two years ago to 87.9 percent making the cut, falling two-tenths of a point under the state goal of 88.11 percent.
In math, the students were 84.5 percent proficient or better, down two points from the previous year, and six points shy of meeting the state standards.
Sixth graders were 84.9 percent proficient or advanced in literacy, up a point from the previous year, but still missing the state goal by slightly more than three points.
In math, the sixth graders beat the state goal of 90.92 percent as 91.2 percent scored proficient or better, up four points from the previous year.
Fifth and sixth graders beat the state average on the norm-referenced test used to compare students nationally.
The middle school had two expulsions and one weapons incident and retained one student.
The school’s accreditation was cited for problems during the year, but no details are in the report card. According to the report card, 5.3 percent of the teachers were not completely certified or licensed. The state data showed that 54 percent of the teachers had bachelor’s degrees, 41 percent had master’s degrees and 5 percent apparently had no four-year degree at all.
CJHS
This junior high, with 1,160 students, class sizes of 18 and teachers averaging 13 years of experience, scored 218 for a “C,” eight points above a “D.” It is also a needs improvement school after being named a “school of excellence” three years ago by the state.
The school’s seventh graders missed the state-required goal in literacy of 85.09 percent proficient or better, scoring 83.6 percent, virtually the same as the previous year.
In math, the seventh graders were substantially off the mark with 70.9 percent of the students making the grade compared to the state goal of 88.29 percent.
In eighth grade, students were 82 percent proficient or better, three points below the previous year’s mark and three points below the state requirement of 85.09 percent.
Even though seventh graders made a three-point improvement in math with 75.6 percent scoring proficient or better, but that was still about 13 points below the state-required 88.29 percent.
On the state’s end-of-course Algebra I test, 85.1 percent of the students scored proficient or better, down five points from the previous year and three points shy of the state goal.
The school’s seventh, eighth and ninth graders bested the state average on the norm-referenced test, which is used to compare students across the nation.
The school had a grade inflation rate of 7.4 percent, much higher than the district’s average of 1.7 percent and just over the state average of 7 percent.
For 2013-14 year, the school listed one weapons incident, one staff assault and two students assaults.
The school’s teachers were 98.9 percent completed certified, 1.1 percent were teaching with emergency or provisional credentials and 47 percent of the teachers had master’s degrees.
CJHN
Cabot Junior High North with 1,255 students, class size averaging 19 students and teachers averaging 12 years of experience received 223 points for a “C,” seven points from a “B.”
The school was also listed by the state as a needs improvement school even though it had been listed in the 2011-12 year as a “school of excellence.”
On the literacy portion of the annual Benchmark exam, seventh-grade students were 81.8 percent proficient or better, down a point from the previous year, and five points under the state-required goal.
In math, the students moved up six points to 78.8 percent proficient or better, but were still eight points below the state goal of 86.6 percent proficient or advanced.
In eighth grade, students were 85.3 percent proficient or better in literacy, down a point from the previous year and slightly more than a point off the state goal of 86.71 percent.
In math, students were 78.6 percent proficient or better, missing the state requirement of 86.60 by 10 points.
On the state-required end-of-course Algebra I exam, 85.3 percent made the grade, down three points from the previous year and a point and a half under the state bar.
Students did beat the state average on the norm-referenced test used to compare students nationally.
The school had no grade inflation rate for the year, but did have four expulsions, one student assault and one student was retained.
Nearly all of the teachers (99 percent) were completed certified, and 46 percent had master’s degrees.
CABOT HIGH
The high school with 2,084 students, average class size of 17 students and teachers averaging 12 years experience, garnered 264 points from the state for a “B” grade, just six points shy of an “A.” It was listed as a needs improvement school for the past two years, but before that it was, according to the state, a “school exceeding standards.”
The school did not have enough students taking the end-of-course Algebra I test to receive any scores as most Cabot students take the test in junior high.
Of the students taking the end-of-course geometry test, 82.3 percent scored proficient or advanced, less than a point off the state goal of 83.14 percent.
The state has no required goal to meet on the end-of-course biology test, but the school saw a slight improvement — going from 63.46 percent proficient or better two years ago to 64 percent making the cut last year.
On the grade 11 literacy exams, given to see if students can read and write on grade level, 81.6 percent of the students were proficient or better, but the state goal was set at 85.32 percent.
The school’s ACT scores in reading, English, math, science and the overall composite grade all solidly beat the state average. But, on the SAT, the school scores lagged behind the state average.
The report card stated that 50.4 percent of Cabot High School students were going to college, about a point below the state average.
The school’s accreditation was cited in 2013-14 for issues which were not listed on the report card.
The school had a graduation rate of 91.9 percent, four points above the state average. The school had a grade inflation rate of less than 1 percent compared to the state’s 7 percent, and it had a college remediation rate of 36.6 percent, nine points lower than the state average, which is good.
The school reported two expulsions, two weapons incidents and seven student assaults.
About 98 percent of the teachers were completely certified, 2 percent were working with emergency or provisional credentials and 47 percent had master’s degrees.
