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District: 92 third-graders remain at risk of retention; district offers May 26–27 retest, transportation and meals
Summary
District leaders told the board that the number of third-graders initially facing retention dropped from 292 level‑1 students to 92; the district will offer a state-authorized retest on May 26–27 with transportation and meals and provided details on tutoring and next-step supports.
The North Little Rock School District reported that 92 third-grade students remain “up for possible retention” after a spring review of ATLAS results, and the district will offer a state-authorized retest with transportation and meals for those students.
Doctor Stowe, presenting the informational update to the board, said the district has reduced the number of students initially identified as level‑1 on ATLAS from 292 to 92. "We have 92 students who are up for possible retention," Stowe said, adding that the students are enrolled in a five‑week tutoring program and will be able to retest during the state window. Carmen Langston, the district literacy coordinator, described the remediation work and said the district will provide transportation and breakfast and lunch on the retest days.
Board members sought context and numbers. One member asked whether the 92 represents about 16 percent of the cohort; Langston and Stowe said enrollment shifts make a single percentage estimate fluid and offered to provide campus‑level denominators and subgroup breakdowns in the weekly board report. Langston noted the district has tracked students individually and can report which are special‑education or English‑learner students.
District staff described next steps if students are retained: state rules require that classrooms holding retained students be staffed by highly qualified teachers and that schools plan school‑specific supports, including a 90‑minute literacy block and targeted placements. "The state is requiring that the teachers in third grade that have these students that have been retained, they have to have a high VAM score ... or a master teacher designation," Stowe said, describing the qualifications the district will use when placing teachers.
Staff also answered questions about whether retests affect district reporting: district presenters said the retest can change an individual student’s promotion outcome but does not change the original state ATLAS score used in the district’s current weighted‑achievement tabulation. The district committed to supplying board members with a granular breakdown of the 92 students, the tutoring ROI data, and school‑by‑school plans for the coming year.
The board did not take formal action on retention during the meeting; staff said further documentation and school‑level plans will be provided at future meetings.
