At the Eureka Springs School board meeting Monday evening, Elementary Principal Clare Haozous explained how the Arkansas Learns Act will affect the assessment of third grade students.
Haozous said the state now has criteria in place for promoting students from third to fourth grade. Students will have to meet minimum standards for literacy skills. Haozous carefully emphasized the word “promotion” rather than “retention,” to keep the focus on positive efforts to keep kids on track.
Students who do not meet the test standards will still have other opportunities to promote to fourth grade. For example, the school keeps portfolios of student work, so they can show that a student just had a bad day at the test. Haozous listed some other potential exemptions which would allow for promotion of a student who does not meet test requirements.
Haozous also explained the steps the school would take to help the kids at risk. Test results of second graders show which students may need extra help. Parents of these students have been notified, and the school has already begun intervention efforts. High-impact tutoring will be offered after school in the spring, to help those students make the grade.
Haozous said she expects only a very small number of students to be affected by the new standards. She also said she has not heard complaints from parents.
Elsewhere in the elementary school, Haozous reported on “a busy month.” A Halloween parade led students through the middle school and high school. Recent parent-teacher conferences were led by the students, and parents responded favorably to that approach.
Field trips to Turpentine Creek are scheduled for first and fourth graders. Haozous said the “A” grade the state had given the elementary shows growth, especially in the bottom quarter of students.
Middle School Principal Trina Bonham said cross-country season is over, and basketball is underway. She reported a good turnout of parents for conferences and said the band and the choir performed at the Fall Festival and Parent Night on Oct. 29.
A select group of students will have a field trip to Crystal Bridges Nov. 20. Professional development for teachers will focus on aligning curricula with the Atlas tests, taken in spring by all students.
Caen Dowell, high school principal, said the student count has fallen from 221 at the start of the year to 203. He explained that some families move in and enroll their kids, but they may not stay.
He said a breakfast was scheduled Nov. 11 for veterans, presented by FFA students. With basketball in full swing, a pep rally and bonfire were scheduled for Nov. 12. Homecoming is set for Friday, with three games, followed by the Homecoming Dance. The staff is already working toward preparing students for state-wide testing in April.
In other business:
- The board approved a proposed budget for the 2027-28 school year, and also approved a sample ballot with three board positions on the ballot.
- The student handbook was revised at state insistence. The Personal Electronic Device Policy outlaws cell phone use during the school day, but students taking courses with concurrent credit need two-factor authentication through their phones. Those students will have an exemption from the no-cell policy.
- Certified and classified personnel will receive a $1,500 holiday bonus. Supt. Bryan Pruitt said last year’s bonus was $1,200, and he was pleased to be able to increase that amount this year. “It’s a nice gesture. Our staff works hard for that, and they’re very appreciative,” he said. The bonus will apply to all staff who meet minimum standards for length of employment.
- Board member Al Larson presided over the meeting in the absence of president Chris McClung.