2016 Springdale Annual Report to the Public The Springdale School District in partnership with parents and community provides a quality educational environment to guide ​all​ students to learn the skills and acquire the knowledge necessary for them to meet the challenges of an ever-changing world. Springdale School District has been built on four basic pillars for over three decades: (1) academic achievement (2) personalized instruction (3) safety and (4) partnerships. Each of the four areas experienced continued excellence during the 2015-2016 academic year. Academic Achievement The Springdale School District has a long history of commitment to excellence. Part of that commitment entails helping every student meet his/her potential. Advanced Placement (AP) classes give academically talented students the opportunity to take college-level courses in high school. Springdale AP teachers use college-level materials and course standards provided by the College Board. These course standards provide students with a rigorous curriculum reflecting college expectations. The following table lists the total numbers district-wide of each AP scores (1 to 5) and the total number of unique students for each AP score.

Springdale School District Number of Exams Percentage of Total Exams Number of AP Students

5 164 7 140

AP Score 4 3 2 285 535 768 12 22 31 239 453 651

1 695 28 580

Total Exams 2,447 100

Springdale students attain top levels of performance in graduation and academic achievement. In grades 9-12 1,358 students participated in ACT and 42 students participated in SAT. The average score of the 733 seniors that participated in the ACT was 21.0 as compared to 20.4 at the state level. The number of students taking International Baccalaureate courses in the district was 450. The following table provides trend achievement data in literacy, mathematics and science. Student achievement increased in 2016 for all grades in both Math and English Language Arts. Both PARCC and ACT Aspire establish new baselines of student proficiency based on new state curriculum standards that underwent revision during the 2015-2016 school year. Current graduation rates for 2016 are still under calculation and review.

Springdale Schools District Springdale High Har-Ber High Archer Learning Center

Graduation Rates

2013 80.88% 85.89% 92.40%

2014 83.81% 89.92% 93.61%

2015 86.97% 85.47% 88.98%

28.40%

32.90%

*

* Starting in 2015, SHS and HBHS included students attending Archer Learning Center, our alternative learning center.

Additional three-year trend comparative data are available on our district website as well as our school improvement and parental involvement plans. Information can be located at ​www.springdaleschools.org​ under state-required information and accountability reports.

Personalized Instruction Springdale School District values the individual learner and is responsive to the needs of ALL students. As part of a systematic and continuous improvement effort to achieve personalized learning for ALL, Springdale School District strives to ensure that research based programs are in place to meet the identified needs of the district and the students we serve. The following academic programs are being implemented to address the reading, language development and personalized needs of our students – Phonetic Connections, Systematic English Language Development (ELD), and Constructing Meaning. In addition, the district provides multiple opportunities to engage in advanced programs including Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate Diploma Concurrent Credit, Gifted and Talented. Our district currently has three Schools of Innovation: Westwood Elementary, Sonora Middle School and the Don Tyson School of Innovation. Students at the Don Tyson School of Innovation are provided opportunities to earn an Associate Degree(s) and advance at accelerated pace through a competency based learning model. As a recipient of a USDOE Race to the Top grant, our district is focusing efforts to support the whole child. The goals of the grant are to dramatically accelerate student achievement; close the experience gap; and deepen student learning through personalized learning strategies supported by a culture of collaboration. Other programs that support the whole child are the Early Childhood program which is the second largest Pre-K program in the state and the Family Literacy Program which is the largest in the nation. Safety In addition to a strong focus on academics and student learning, safety is an educational pillar of the district. As an ongoing effort to ensure the safety needs of students and staff, the district conducts ongoing reviews of policies, plans and procedures. Internet filtering is provided for one-to-one portable technology that follows students from campus to home. Other recent efforts to continuously improve safety throughout the district include expansion of school resource officer program, implementation of ID screening for all visitors and real-time alert systems synchronized with our local 911 system for emergency situations. Partnerships Partnerships within our district have many forms. We have valued partnerships with our parents, patrons, community members, businesses and civic organizations, including Tyson Foods, the Northwest Arkansas Council, Springdale Chamber of Commerce, and

the Springdale Education Foundation. Individual schools as well as individual programs offer multiple outlets and opportunities to partner with organizations. These community partnerships allow the district to pursue student learning that is personalized, real world oriented and offers students a glimpse of the academic and professional skills needed to succeed in life both during their school years and beyond. The Springdale School District offers Career and Technical Education programming in 16 major career clusters with specialty programs in Agriculture and Food Sciences, Culinary Arts, Engineering and Robotics, Information Technologies and Business Systems, Medical Professions, Law and Public Safety, Construction Management, Computer Numeric Controlled Operations, Television Production, and Environmental and Spatial Technologies. Seven of the programs include career academies that lead to national program certificates. CTE teachers actively partner with employers and industry partners to design and provide high-quality, dynamic programs. Accreditation Status Springdale School District was fully accredited by the Arkansas Department of Education for the district and all twenty-seven schools in 2015-2016. Springdale School District and all schools are also fully accredited by AdvancEd, an independent external accreditation agency. Demographics

One of the strengths of the Springdale School District is the diversity of our student population and community. The district has a current enrollment of 21,507 students as of October 1, 2016. 35.4% of students are Caucasian, 46.4% are Hispanic, 12.3% are Pacific Islanders, 3.1% are Black, and 2.8% fall in the category of “other.” The Springdale School District has a growing diverse population that is reflective of economic growth within the community. The district has grown by 30% of its population in the past ten years and has more than doubled the percentage of minority students since 2000. The district currently serves 71.2% free and reduced lunch or reduced price status meals. Student attendance in K-12 averages 95.3% per academic year with a drop out rate of 2.02%. Over 99% of certified staff are Highly Qualified. Average teacher salary is $60,538 and average per pupil expenditure is $9,590. The district millage is currently 40.5 mills.

“We appreciate the partnerships we have with our parents, patrons and community members in developing our most valuable resource – our children. Thank you for your continued support as we educate and prepare our next generation to the absolute best of our ability.” ~ Dr. Jim Rollins, Superintendent

Please direct any comments or questions to Dr. Jim Rollins: [email protected]