Two Independence County schools – Batesville’s Sulphur Rock Elementary and Southside Charter High School – have been named among Arkansas’s 159 Reward Schools.
Additionally, Batesville’s Sulphur Rock is one of Arkansas’s 108 schools receiving an ‘A’ on the State Report Cards, based on performance, growth, student success, school quality, and in the case of high schools, graduation rates.
For ranking among the Top 6 to 10% improving schools in Arkansas, based on performance, Batesville’s Sulphur Rock Elementary School received $16,361.40. For ranking among the Top 5% of Arkansas schools in Growth and Graduation, Southside Charter High received $38,085.12.
For their performance and growth/graduation in the 2017-18 school year, a total 159 public schools in Arkansas were recognized as either high performing schools, high gaining schools, or both through the Arkansas School Recognition and Reward Program.
According to the Arkansas Department of Education, “the Arkansas School Recognition Program, Ark. Code Ann. § 6-15-2107, was created to provide financial awards to public schools that achieve high student performance, student academic growth, and for secondary schools, high school graduation rate.”
The statute authorizes rewards in an amount up to $100 per student for Top 5% and up to $50 per student for the Top 6-10%.
Schools receiving recognition funds must establish a committee to determine the best use of the funds. The committee includes the principal, a teacher elected by the faculty, and a parent representative selected by the local parent teacher organization or another parental involvement group. Schools may use the funds for faculty and staff bonuses, educational equipment and materials, or personnel to assist with improving or maintaining student performance and growth.
A complete list of Reward Schools may be found at http://www.arkansased.gov/public/userfiles/Public_School_Accountability/School_Performance/2017_Reward_Schools_.pdf. Letter grades and scores for each school in Arkansas may be found at https://adesrc.arkansas.gov.
For more detailed information on the performance of Arkansas’s public schools, visit https://myschoolinfo.arkansas.gov.
Arkansas Learns, the Voice of Business for excellent education options – including industry-relevant career pathways – for all students, championed the Reward School funding in the 89th, 90th, 91st and 92nd General Assemblies and provided the presentation checks and ‘A’ grade displays. For more, visit ArkansasLearns.org, and use #RewardSchool and @ArkansasLearns on social media
