Week 3: Focusing on Growth

Happy Friday!

As we close out another week, I want to thank each of you for the energy, creativity, and commitment you bring to our schools. Whether you are teaching in the classroom, supporting students in their daily needs, maintaining our facilities, or ensuring operations run smoothly, your work matters. Together, you create the environment where students can thrive, and that collective effort is what drives us toward meeting our district performance targets.

This week’s Wrap-up will focus on one of the most important measures of our progress: student growth. The ATLAS scores we received reflect not only how our students performed at a single point in time, but also how much they advanced over the course of the year. These results give us insight into what is working, where progress is being made, and where we need to focus our energy moving forward as we continue working toward our goals.

Growth Results

At the state level, Arkansas saw modest but steady gains in year two of ATLAS for students achieving proficiency. ELA scores improved by +0.8%, math by +2.7%, and science by +2.4%. Along with achievement, across the state, growth is becoming the story, as schools and communities adjust to a new system and find ways to rise.

It is important to remember the difference between achievement and growth as measured by ATLAS. Achievement reflects a student’s performance on grade-level standards at a single point in time, showing whether they reached mastery on the test. Growth, on the other hand, measures how much progress a student made compared to where they started, regardless of whether they reached proficiency. Achievement tells us where students are, but growth tells us how far they have come, and growth is the focus of this Wrap-up.

Here in Mena, our results show a similar story, but with our own points of pride and challenge:

* ELA: Our chart shows that Mena has climbed steadily from 2023 to 2025, moving from negative growth into positive territory. The state line remained flat during that time, which means our students are beginning to separate from the state average in a positive direction. This is encouraging evidence that our focus on literacy is taking root.

* Math: This chart reflects the most striking difference. While the state line has remained nearly flat, our district’s line has risen sharply each year. By 2025, our students will have more than doubled the state’s gains, showing clear evidence that persistence, strong instruction, and readiness to be challenged are paying off. This is a progress point that we can take pride in and must continue to build upon.

* Science: Our chart reveals a peak in 2024 followed by a drop in 2025. Even though we remain above the state average, this downward trend is a concern. It tells us that students are capable of growth in science, but consistency will require more deliberate strategies and sustained support.

Our goal must always be that 100% of our students can master grade-level work, and these results remind us that there is still much to do, but we are heading in the right direction overall.

What Our Teachers Are Saying

At the heart of this data are classrooms. We spoke with some of our teachers whose students showed the highest growth, and a common theme stood out: students are doing the work. These teachers emphasized that the key was keeping the effort where it belongs—on the students. The students are working harder than the teachers. Teachers are then using that work to check for understanding, uncover misconceptions, and directly address deficiencies, while keeping expectations high.

This is a powerful reminder: growth happens when students take ownership of their learning, and when teachers act as guides who push, question, and respond to what they see in the work.

Looking at Our Most At-Risk Students

We also examined how our lowest 25% of students are doing. While these students remain behind, there is encouraging movement in several areas. Algebra I showed the biggest improvement, moving significantly closer to positive growth. Math (3–8) and Science also made meaningful gains, suggesting that the right supports are beginning to take hold. ELA improved only slightly, which tells us there is still much work to be done. The most concerning area is Biology, where growth for our most at-risk students declined.

This shows us two things: first, that steady effort is helping many of our most vulnerable students climb upward; second, that we cannot lose focus on the areas where gaps persist. Our mission calls us to ensure that every student has a path forward, especially those who need us most.

Digging Deeper into the Data

When we look beyond averages, the growth data tells us more about how learning is distributed across our students. The strongest gains this year came from students in the middle quartiles, who are steadily moving upward and contributing to our overall progress. This shows that consistent classroom practices—ensuring students do the work, checking for understanding, addressing misconceptions, and keeping expectations high—are making a difference for the majority of learners.

At the same time, the data reminds us that our work is not finished. The lowest quartile, while showing some improvement in Algebra I, Math, and Science, continues to lag behind its peers. The highest quartile also dipped slightly in some areas, which suggests we must continue to challenge our advanced students so they do not plateau.

Growth is not just about raising the floor; it is also about lifting the ceiling. Our goal is to move every student forward, whether they are striving to meet grade-level expectations or preparing to excel beyond them. Deeper dives into the data will take place in PLC teams within each building in the coming weeks and will be used to shape strategies that meet the needs of all learners.

Closing

As we close Week 3, let us celebrate the way classrooms are deepening learning through meaningful work. Students are engaged in daily lessons that stretch their thinking, and teachers are using that work to check for understanding and address areas of need. This is the rhythm of growth that will carry us forward.

It has also been a strong week in Bearcat athletics. Ladycat Volleyball continues its early-season run with exciting matches and wins, Bearcat Football opens tonight at Bob Carver Bearcat Stadium and Randall Whorton Field against DeQueen, and our tennis and golf teams are competing with determination and poise. Each of these moments reflects the pride and commitment of our students both on and off the court or field.

This week is also the Polk County Fair, a highlight of community pride and tradition. Many of our students are showing livestock projects that represent months of dedication and responsibility, and the premium sale takes place tonight. I encourage you to support these students as they showcase their hard work and represent Mena Public Schools in such a meaningful way. I also had the opportunity to visit and admire the artwork submitted by our elementary students, and it was clear how proud and excited they are to share their creativity. I encourage everyone to stop by and see their talent on display as well.

A big THANK YOU goes out to the administrators, teachers, and staff who organized and hosted Parent Night at Holly Harshman. Watch for additional parent nights to help get the year started off the right way with good communication with our community.

It was a good week of progress at Mena Public Schools.

At Mena Public Schools, our students are prepared, our staff is supported, and our community is confident.

Keep the 2025–2026 #menareads posts and videos coming, and have a great Labor Day weekend!