​NLR Students Demonstrate Growth on ACT Aspire

Five schools within the North Little Rock School District have been recognized as schools where students demonstrated exception academic growth on the ACT Aspire exams last school year.  The Office for Education Policy, a research center within the College of Education and Health Professions at the University of Arkansas, has acknowledged Crestwood Elementary, Meadow Park Elementary, Amboy Elementary, North Little Rock Middle School and North Little Rock High School – Center of Excellence.

The report, “Outstanding Educational Performance Awards:  Highlighting High-Growth Arkansas Schools, 2018,” recognizes schools whose students made the largest improvement on the ACT Aspire exams in English Language Arts (ELA) and mathematics.

Crestwood Elementary was recognized as one of the top 10 elementary schools in the state for student growth in ELA.  When compared to other elementary schools in the Central Arkansas region, Crestwood and Meadow Park ranked third and fourth, respectively, for student growth in the ELA.

Meadow Park and Amboy ranked first and fourth, respectively, on the list of the Top 5 “High Poverty” elementary schools in the Central Arkansas region to show growth on the ELA section of the ACT Aspire. 

North Little Rock Middle School ranked fifth in the Central Arkansas region for growth in math among middle schools with high poverty. 

North Little Rock High School – Center of Excellence, the district’s conversion charter high school, demonstrated the fourth highest growth score in ELA among high poverty high schools in the Central Arkansas region.

“We give OEP [Outstanding Educational Performance] Awards based on student growth because we think it is the best indicator of how a school is impacting students' learning,” said Sarah McKenzie, Ph.D., Executive Director of the Office for Education Policy.  “North Little Rock teachers, supported by school and district staff, are demonstrating that students learn more than is typical in these classrooms.”

“We are always excited about academic growth,” said Bobby Acklin, Superintendent of the North Little Rock School District.  “I commend our teachers, principals, staff, and parents for helping us to accomplish this.  It is our goal for each student in every school to grow academically.  Until then, our work is not done.”