Doctor Wood, superintendent of the Alma School District, told the school board the district's ATLAS assessment data show mixed letter grades across buildings but notable student growth and a high graduation rate.

"Level 2 does mean students are on grade level," Doctor Wood said, explaining the assessment's four-level descriptors and how the state counts only levels 3 and 4 as proficiency for letter grades.

The report said the district's primary school and intermediate school each received a C under the state system, the middle school received an A, and the high school's grade was corrected upward after the state fixed course-code errors that had undercounted certain CTE completers. Doctor Wood said the district's cohort on-time graduation rate was 98.25 percent.

Nut graf: The presentation aimed to explain how the state's accountability formula converts ATLAS scores into letter grades, to show where individual schools compare with state medians, and to alert the board and community about the practical effect of a new third-grade promotion rule tied to reading results.

Doctor Wood walked the board through the accountability components: achievement (the share of students scoring level 3 or 4), growth for all students, growth for the lowest quartile, and (for high schools) a "success ready graduate" measure. She said the state made the scoring rules more transparent this year and that the district could use the state's calculator to preview likely results.

The superintendent highlighted other data points: district-level percentages of students on grade level by grade and subject, cohort comparisons showing year-to-year movement for the same student groups, and recognition from the Office of Education Policy at the University of Arkansas. "The middle school [was recognized] for high math growth statewide and high overall growth statewide," Doctor Wood said, and she said Alma High School was recognized for high overall growth statewide.

Doctor Wood also described implementation steps tied to a statewide third‑grade promotion policy that takes effect under the state's rules: students who score a level 1 on the state reading assessment at the end of third grade will not be promoted to fourth grade unless they qualify for a documented good-cause exemption or meet specified interventions. "It is not the goal to retain third graders. It is the goal to get them the support that they need," Doctor Wood said, adding that the district's kindergarten through second-grade screening data (not yet returned in full) will help identify at-risk students earlier.

Board members and staff noted practical next steps. Board discussion included ensuring support for identified students and communicating results and letters to parents; Doctor Wood said the presentation would be shared on the district website and that more K–2 data were expected in mid-October.

Ending: The report was informational; no formal board action was taken. District leaders said they will continue analyzing ATLAS results by school and grade, pursue targeted interventions for students at risk of falling into level 1, and notify parents with details when letters are ready.