Week 7: The Score Is In: A Look at Our State and Federal Educational Metrics

Happy Friday!

As we wrap up Week 7 and our first 31 days of the school year, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude for everyone's tireless efforts in fulfilling our district's mission. Teachers, staff, and administrators are going above and beyond to meet our district’s performance targets and create an effective learning environment. This week, we have reached a significant milestone with the release of our state-issued school report card, a valuable tool for assessing our strengths and areas for growth.

In addition to the state's evaluation, we have also gathered invaluable feedback from our community through a start-of-school survey. The insights we have gained offer a comprehensive view of how our efforts are resonating with the community and provide direction for our ongoing journey in educational excellence. Thank you for your continued dedication; you are the backbone of our district's success.

State Report Card & ESSA School Indices

All school report cards are out and can be viewed at myschoolinfo.arkansas.gov. I have also made a folder for all building reports to be viewed here. All earned a ‘C’ and PCVA remains a ‘D’. Mena Middle School and Louise Durham Elementary were ‘B’ schools last year. The decline is mostly because we dropped 6 points on the ACT Aspire. But, also, our chronic absenteeism cost us some points in their calculations and that also has an impact on the test scores. There is a report in the folder that is linked above that shows the chronic absenteeism amounts for each school.

Remember that we have the new ATLAS system now and can build our own assessments from it to measure growth throughout the year on just about everything as we did with reading last year. It is very important that those of you who can build Common Formative Assessments (CFA) with ATLAS so that students are familiar with the style, format, and especially the rigor of those questions. The ATLAS system is replacing the ACT Aspire to use in measuring our academic attainment.

We will continue to push toward our target performance for this year and have a better idea of how we will do at the end of the year, more than we ever did with the Aspire test.

A Good Start

Here is a summation of the Thought Exchange sent out through Thrill Share last week. (Summaries are created by Thought Exchange):

Key themes and sentiments

* Overall Summary

The responses indicate that the majority of parents are satisfied with the beginning of the school year, with many praising the teachers, communication methods, and the positive impact on their children's attitudes towards school. Some parents have experienced challenges, such as issues with paperwork, communication, and specific concerns for children with special needs. Overall, the start of the school year has been largely positive, with a few areas for improvement.

* Summary of the Highest Rated Thoughts

The beginning of the year has been largely positive for the participants and their students, with many children enjoying school and feeling excited to attend each day. Parents appreciate the open communication with teachers and staff, as well as the structured routines that help set their children up for success. Some students are thriving and learning new things, while others are adjusting well and feeling safe in their school environment. A few participants mentioned the importance of having a good relationship with teachers and the impact it has on their children's motivation and happiness. However, one participant suggested providing chairs for grandparents who may have difficulty standing in waiting lines due to health issues.

* Summaries of each of the categories

All of the thoughts were sorted into four key themes: Positive Experiences, Communication, Organization, and Supportive Staff. The following summaries explain those themes.

Positive Experiences

The responses indicate that participants have had mostly positive experiences with their children's education this year. Many mentioned that their children are enjoying their classes and teachers, and that communication between parents and teachers has been easy and convenient. They also appreciate the structure and routine that the school provides, as well as the extra time that some schools have given for drop-off and pick-up. However, some participants have experienced issues with communication, paperwork, and overcrowded buses. Overall, the participants seem to be satisfied with their children's education this year.

Communication

This response focuses on the topic of Communication, with participants discussing aspects such as emails, text messages, SeeSaw, Open House, and other methods of communication. Participants generally have a positive perception of Communication, noting that it is convenient, organized, and helps keep parents informed. However, some participants have noted issues with Communication, such as not receiving emails or text messages, or not being able to hear during Open House. Overall, Communication is seen as an important part of the school experience, helping to keep parents and students informed and connected.

Organization

The responses focus on the topic of Organization, with participants mentioning aspects such as communication, open house, paperwork, and routine. Participants generally have a positive perception of Organization, noting that it helps with communication, provides structure, and helps students feel safe and comfortable. However, some participants have noted issues with communication, paperwork, and open house, suggesting that there is room for improvement in these areas.

Supportive Staff

The participants mentioned various aspects of Supportive Staff, such as communication methods, open house events, and the relationship between teachers and students. They also shared their perception of Supportive Staff, which was generally positive. They appreciated the organization of open house events, the communication between teachers and parents, and the care and attention given to their children. They also highlighted the importance of having a good relationship with teachers and staff, as well as the need for clear communication and a safe environment for students.

Closing

A special thanks goes out to the City of Mena and the Mena Fire Department for hoisting our large American flag at our last home game. They enjoyed doing that so much that they will do it again at tonight’s game. So, come to Bob Carver Bearcat Stadium tonight to support the Bearcats as they take on Arkadelphia and support our city’s emergency services as they add to the spirit and atmosphere for tonight!

Our volleyball teams continue to have a great season as the seniors defeated Magnolia last night. Their tournament in Paris tomorrow has been postponed to October 7th.

Some of you may want to take advantage of the Refer a Friend with ESS, our substitute teacher service. For every person you refer to ESS to be a substitute teacher, ESS will pay you $100 if they sign up. I was told that there have been teachers who made thousands of dollars through this program.

Here are the results of the Thought Exchange for Artificial Intelligence for teachers. ChatGPT is being used in several ways. We will have professional development opportunities available soon.

Those of you who have your dental and vision insurance with the school will appreciate this message from P.T. Plunket at Mena Insurance,

“Very happy to report that the dental and vision plan are getting a rate hold/zero increase for the upcoming plan year. In this environment that is a big win.  Happy for the district and for your members”.

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

Have a great weekend!!