November 19, 2012 Gary W. Ritter Director Office for Education Policy OEP Presentation on School Ratings1

Overview of Today’s Presentation Introduction to the OEP. A brief look back at the 2011 Northwest AR Report Card, with a focus on Bentonville student subgroup performance. Highlighting 2012 Bentonville School District Subgroup Performance (Elem & Middle Grades). Introduction to OEP’s Similar Schools/Districts Group & the Similar Schools/Districts Rating. Comparing Bentonville Schools to Similar Schools. Solicitation of feedback.

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4www.uark.edu/ua/oep 2011 Northwest Arkansas Report Card 2011 Northwest Arkansas Report Card The 2011 NWA Report Card highlighted test scores, achievement gaps, graduation rates, and teacher salary for the academic year. Similar to our state Arkansas Report Card, The NWA Report Card was created to provide more detailed information specific to the Northwest Arkansas region such as: 1.Overview of Assessments 2.NWA Characteristics 3.District by District Performance on Standardized Assessments (Over Time) 4.Diverse Subgroups 5.Secondary and Beyond

5 AR Benchmark Math Exam % Proficient or Advanced (Elementary) by Race, 2010 AR Benchmark Math Exam % Proficient or Advanced (Middle) by Race, 2010

AR Benchmark Literacy Exam % Proficient or Advanced (Elementary) by Race, 2010 AR Benchmark Literacy Exam % Proficient or Advanced (Middle) by Race, 2010

7 Diverse Subgroups: Poverty & Language Barriers

AR Benchmark Math Exam % Proficient or Advanced (Elementary), FRL & LEP, 2010 AR Benchmark Math Exam % Proficient or Advanced (Middle), FRL & LEP, 2010

AR Benchmark Literacy Exam % Proficient or Advanced (Elementary), FRL & LEP, 2010 AR Benchmark Literacy Exam % Proficient or Advanced (Middle), FRL & LEP, 2010

10www.uark.edu/ua/oep 2012 Northwest Arkansas Report Card 2012 Northwest Arkansas Report Card The 2012 NWA Report Card also highlights test scores, achievement gaps, graduation rates, and teacher salary for the academic year. However, some additional variables are presented in this year’s Report Card such as economic indicators, and higher education data. However, today we will only highlight Bentonville Schools

2012 NWA Report Card: Focus on Bentonville SD On the Arkansas Benchmark Exam, the Bentonville School District scored high among other Northwest AR districts with: 91% of students P/A in Math 90% of Students P/A in Literacy

NWA Report Card: Focus on Bentonville SD On the Iowa Test of Basic Skills, the Bentonville School District scored high among other Northwest AR school districts scoring at the 69 th National Percentile Rank

Next, we will look at how subgroups within the “Big 5” School Districts performed on the Benchmark Exams in Math and Literacy Specifically, we look at performance of: FRL students Non-FRL Students African American Students Hispanic Students

AR Benchmark Math Exam % Proficient or Advanced (Elementary), Select Subgroups, 2012 AR Benchmark Math Exam % Proficient or Advanced (Middle), Select Subgroups, 2012

AR Benchmark Literacy Exam % Proficient or Advanced (Elementary), Select Subgroups, 2012 AR Benchmark Literacy Exam % Proficient or Advanced (Middle), Select Subgroups, 2012

NWA Report Card: Focus on Bentonville SD On the End of Course Exams, Bentonville School District students outscored all other Northwest AR districts. Bentonville SD also boasts the highest graduation rate in NWA.

Snapshot: Bentonville Schools - Demographics SchoolGradesEnroll.% FRL % White % Hispanic % Black % Other Races% Min.% G/T % Spec. Ed.% LEP Apple Glen Elem.K %67%13%4%16%33%3%11%10% R.E. Baker Elem.K %83%8%2%7%17%3%12%3% Centerton Gamble Elem.K %75%15%2%8%25%3%8% Central Park At Morning StarK-49379%78%7%2%13%22%5%9%4% Cooper Elem.K %91%1% 7%9%2%11%0% Elm Tree Elem.K %77%7%3%13%23%4%9%3% Mary Mae Jones Elem.K %61%19%4%17%39%3%10%14% Sugar Creek Elem.K %76%10%3%12%24%2%14%5% Thomas Jefferson Elem.K %76%8%4%12%24%3%13%5% Old High Middle %86%5%2%8%14%7%10%3% Ruth Barker Middle %70%12%2%16%30%7%11%10% Spring Hill Middle %75%12%2%11%25%5%12%6% Lincoln Junior High7-81,08833%75%11%3%11%25%5%8%5% Washington Junior High7-81,06923%77%9%3%11%23%5%8%5% Bentonville High School9-123,58924%76%12%3%9%24%6%9%4% Bentonville SDK-1214,12328%76%10%3%11%24%5%10%

Snapshot: Bentonville Schools – Benchmark and ITBS Test Scores Benchmark Exam2012 ITBS Exam School Name Grade s %P/A Bench Mth Bench Math GPA %P/A Bench Lit Bench Lit GPA School Overall GPA Read. NPR Math. NPR Lang. NPRSci. NPR Overall School NPR Overall School NCE Apple Glen Elem.K-4 89%3.5484% R.E. Baker Elem.K-4 92%3.6488% Centerton Gamble Elem.K-4 90%3.5485% Central Park At Morning StarK-4 96%3.8195% Cooper Elem.K-4 95%3.7190% Elm Tree Elem.K-4 93%3.6694% Mary Mae Jones Elem.K-4 90%3.4881% Sugar Creek Elem.K-4 86%3.4081% Thomas Jefferson Elem.K-4 92%3.5888% Old High Middle5-6 90%3.5290% Ruth Barker Middle5-6 94%3.6692% Spring Hill Middle5-6 88%3.4688% Lincoln Junior High7-8 91%3.4794% Washington Junior High7-8 93%3.5894% Bentonville High Bentonville SDK-1291%3.5690% Northwest Arkansas -82%3.2585% Arkansas Overall -78%3.1482%

The Similar Schools Group Because it makes little sense to compare performance of Bentonville High to, say, KIPP Delta, the OEP developed a school grouping procedure to compare similar schools. For example, we grouped schools according to the grades served: (1=primary, 2=elementary, 3=middle, 4=junior high) AND the fraction of economically disadvantaged students at the school (measured by the number of students receiving a free or reduced-price lunch – FRL) grouped into three categories: (1 = low economic disadvantage, 2 = middle economic disadvantage, and 3 = high economic disadvantage). Let’s say, we want to compare how Randall G. Lynch Middle School in Farmington performs on the benchmark to other schools that “look like” Randall G. Lynch Middle. How do we do that? We find other middle schools with similar percentages of FRL students. Randall G. Lynch is a “middle school,” thus it is classified as a “3” Randall G. Lynch has a low FRL%, thus it is classified as a “1” Therefore, Randall G. Lynch is in the similar schools group 3.1 We can now compare Lynch with all other schools that are in the 3.1 grouping

Snapshot: Bentonville Schools – Comparison to Similar Schools School Name Similar Schools Group %P/A Bench Math Bench Math GPA Similar Schools Index (Bench Math) %P/A Bench Lit Bench Lit GPA Similar Schools Index (Bench Lit) Apple Glen Elem %3.54+0%84% % R.E. Baker Elem %3.64+3%88% % Centerton Gamble Elem %3.54+1%85% % Central Park At Morning Star 2.196%3.81+7%95%3.73+5% Cooper Elem %3.71+6%90%3.59+0% Elm Tree Elem %3.66+4%94%3.71+4% Mary Mae Jones Elem %3.48+1%81% % Sugar Creek Elem % %81% % Thomas Jefferson Elem %3.58+3%88% % Old High Middle 2.190%3.52+1%90%3.47+0% Ruth Barker Middle 2.194%3.66+5%92%3.58+2% Spring Hill Middle 2.188% %88% % Lincoln Junior High 4.191% %94%3.57+7% Washington Junior High 4.193% %94%3.60+7% Bentonville SD1.191%3.56+4%90%3.51+2% Northwest Arkansas -- 82% % Arkansas Overall -- 78% %

Comparing Bentonville Middle Schools School NameGradesDistrict Name Total % P/A Math Math GPA Total % P/A Lit. Lit. GPA School Overall GPA Similar School Group Math SSR (% P/A) Lit. SSR (% P/A) Overall SSR (School GPA)Enroll. % FRL % White % Hisp. % Black % Min. Apple Glen ElementaryK-4Bentonville SD 89%3.5484% % -6% %67%13%4%33% Holcomb Elem.K-4Fayetteville SD 88%3.5189% % %60%15%9%40% Jefferson Elem.P-5Little Rock SD 88%3.5592% %+2% %76%1%20%24% Center Valley Elem.K-4Russellville SD 94%3.6992% %+2% %82%7%1%18% School NameGradesDistrict Name Total % P/A Math Math GPA Total % P/A Lit. Lit. GPA School Overall GPA Similar School Group Math SSR (% P/A) Lit. SSR (% P/A) Overall SSR (School GPA)Enroll.% FRL % White % Hisp. % Black % Min. Ruth Barker Middle5-6Bentonville SD 94%3.6692% %+2% %70%12%2%30% Harrison Middle5-6Harrison SD 85%3.3889% % -1% %93%3%0%7% Northridge Middle5-6Van Buren SD 79%3.1784% % -6% %76%8%2%24% Ruth Doyle Interm.5-6Conway SD 92%3.5994% %+4% %70%7%19%30% Comparing Bentonville Elementary Schools

Snapshot: Bentonville Schools – Accountability Status, School Name 2012 Accountability Status Math Bench P/A Math Bench P/A % P/A Growth in Math Lit Bench P/A Lit Bench P/A % P/A Growth in Lit Apple Glen Elem.Needs Improvement92% 89%-3% 86% 84% -2% R.E. Baker Elem.Needs Improvement91% 92%+1% 89% 88% -1% Centerton Gamble Elem.Needs Improvement96% 90%-6% 93% 85% -8% Central Park At Morning StarAchieving91% 96%+5% 82% 95% +13% Cooper Elem.Achieving94% 95%+1% 87% 90% +3% Elm Tree Elem.Achieving95% 93%-2% 92% 94% +2% Mary Mae Jones Elem.Needs Improvement92% 90%-2% 77% 81% +4% Sugar Creek Elem.Needs Improvement82% 86%+4% 80% 81% +1% Thomas Jefferson Elem.Needs Improvement93% 92%-1% 83% 88% +5% Old High MiddleNeeds Improvement92% 90%-2% 84% 90% +6% Ruth Barker MiddleAchieving93% 94%+1% 88% 92% +4% Spring Hill MiddleNeeds Improvement92% 88%-4% 82% 88% +6% Lincoln Junior HighAchieving92% 91%-1% 88% 94% +6% Washington Junior HighAchieving92% 93%+1% 89% 94% +5%

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