NCEA Releases 2011 List of Higher Performing Schools in Arkansas that are Exceeding Expectations in College and Career Readiness

The National Center for Educational Achievement's annual list released today recognizes Arkansas public schools that are most successful at preparing students for college and careers.

(Austin, TX--November 4, 2011) The National Center for Educational Achievement (NCEA), a department of ACT, Inc., released its 2011 NCEA Higher Performing Schools List for Arkansas on its website www.nc4ea.org today. The list identifies those elementary, middle, and high schools in Arkansas that have consistently outperformed their peers with similar student populations over a three-year period (the 2008-09, 2009-10, and 2010-11 school years).

"The list of Higher Performing Schools is a valuable tool for any district that wants to evaluate areas of performance that might need strengthening. It's also a great way to compare your school or your district to other schools of similar demographics in the state," says Angela Hall Watkins, Assistant Vice President and Managing Director of NCEA. "The schools that really stand out are those that, over several years, have gone above and beyond their expected achievement levels given their socioeconomic status. Such commitment is truly impressive, and is a testament to the fact that economic obstacles can indeed be overcome with dedication and perseverance."

On the list are several schools whose populations include a significant amount (more than 60%) of economically disadvantaged students. Among those that stand out are Weaver Elementary (West Memphis School District) which was higher performing in all subjects, and De Queen Elementary (De Queen School District) which was higher performing in math and literacy.

NCEA identified the Higher Performing Schools based on one or both of two measures: 1) consistent improvement in student achievement from previous years (Growth) and/or 2) absolute student achievement using the schools' Advanced Performance results on the 2009-2011 Augmented Benchmark Exams. (Proficient Performance results were used for the 2009-2011 Grade 11 Literacy Exam.)

NCEA began identifying Higher Performing Schools in 1998 and continues to annually release these lists as well as College and Career Readiness Charts for every public school in Arkansas.

To view the 2011 NCEA Higher Performing Schools List for Arkansas, visit http://www.nc4ea.org/index.cfm/e/higher_performing_schools/st/arkansas.

About NCEA

The National Center for Educational Achievement (NCEA) is a department of ACT, Inc., a not-for-profit organization committed to helping people achieve education and workplace success. NCEA builds the capacity of educators and leaders to create educational systems of excellence for all students by providing research-based solutions and expertise in higher performing schools, school improvement and best-practice research that lead to increased levels of college and career readiness.