Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Education Assessment topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Alma School District reviews ATLAS assessment results and prepares for new third-grade promotion rule
Summary
Superintendent presented the district's ATLAS assessment results, noting school letter grades, growth metrics and local recognitions; staff warned K–2 data are pending and outlined supports ahead of a new state third-grade promotion rule that could prevent promotion for students scoring at level 1 without exemptions.
The Alma School District board received the district's annual report to the public on assessment and accountability during its regular meeting. The presentation explained the ATLAS assessment levels, how the state translates results into letter grades, and what the district is doing to support students ahead of changes to third-grade promotion rules.
Superintendent Dr. Wood (introduced at the meeting) summarized how ATLAS categorizes student performance into levels 1–4 and how the state counts levels 3 and 4 as proficiency for letter grades. "Level 2 does mean students are on grade level," Dr. Wood said, underscoring why the district tracks multiple indicators beyond the state's proficiency count.
The report listed school-level outcomes: the primary and intermediate schools were reported as a C, Helen Middle School was an A, and the high school's grade was reviewed after the district identified course-code issues with CTE completer data; the state reviewed and adjusted the high school result. The presenter described the scoring method (achievement, overall growth, growth of the lowest quartile and, at the high-school level, success-ready graduate measures) and said the state provides cut scores and an online calculator to improve transparency.
District enrollment figures cited in the presentation were 3,003 K–12 students and 56 pre-K students, with pre-K capacity listed at 60 (four tuition seats open). The presenter noted the district will post the full slide deck on the district website and share K–2 results when they arrive; K–2 data were still being normalized and expected later in October.
Staff highlighted recognitions from the University of Arkansas' Office of Education Policy: Helen Middle School was singled out for high math growth in the region and high overall growth statewide, and Alma High School received recognition for overall growth statewide. The superintendent urged the board and community to view the indicators in context and noted cohort comparisons that show year-to-year growth for many groups of students.
On third-grade promotion, the superintendent outlined the state's new requirement for the 2025–26 school year: third graders who score at level 1 and who do not qualify for a documented good-cause exemption may not be promoted to fourth grade. The district described steps to identify at-risk students early, to document good-cause exemptions where appropriate, and to provide interventions intended to reduce the need for retention. "It is not the goal to retain third graders," the presenter said, adding that the goal is to provide supports to get students on grade level.
The board asked questions and congratulated staff on results. The superintendent said the presentation would be shared on the district website for parents and that staff will continue to monitor K–2 data and third-grade outcomes.
The presentation began during the superintendent's report and continued through questions and follow-up; the district plans to use the ATLAS detail and the state-provided tools to inform remediation and communication with families.
