The Office for Education Policy (OEP) at the University of Arkansas has recognized three North Little Rock School District campuses with Outstanding Educational Performance Awards for exceptional academic growth on the 2026 ATLAS assessments.
Lakewood Elementary School stood out both regionally and statewide for its performance on the ATLAS assessments. The campus ranked in the top 20 elementary schools statewide for overall growth, while securing a top-10 statewide spot and a top-five regional spot for growth in science. This significant progress propelled Lakewood’s overall school letter grade from a "B" to an "A."
Amboy Elementary School was honored with a "Beating the Odds" award, which recognizes high-growth schools where at least 66% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Amboy placed fourth among elementary schools in the Central Region for science growth, helping raise its overall school letter grade from a "D" to a "C."
Ridge Road Elementary School also earned a "Beating the Odds" distinction, placing fifth in the Central Region for growth on the science portion of the ATLAS exam. With these impressive gains, Ridge Road’s school letter grade surged from a "C" to a "B."
These annual awards rely on content growth scores calculated by the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education, measuring student progress from 2025 to 2026 against expected achievement. The OEP is a research center within the College of Education and Health Professions at the University of Arkansas that provides data to help Arkansas educators and leaders make informed decisions.