About 77 third graders in the White Hall School District were identified as needing additional support to meet a minimum reading standard in order to be promoted to fourth grade.
This school year marks the first under the Arkansas LEARNS Act of 2023 in which third grade students who do not meet the standard will be retained unless they meet one or more “good-cause exemptions.” The Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary Education has identified a student’s reading ability in third grade as a “pivotal predictor of future academic success, high school graduation and lifelong opportunity.”
The students must score Level 2 or above on the Arkansas Teaching, Learning and Assessment System summative English language arts test. Good-cause exemptions for those who do not meet the standard include, among others, those eligible for an alternative assessment known as DLM, English learners (those with fewer than three years in an English learner program) and those previously retained.
The testing window for the White Hall School Districtopens April 13, Assistant Superintendent Debbie Jones said during last week’s district board meeting. About 300 third graders are enrolled in the district.
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“After an intense intervention within our campuses, small groups, tracking through progress monitoring and interim data as well as testing and assessments, we think we’re right around 13, probably to 17 students who are not quite making the progress we’d like them to make,” Jones said, meaning about 60 to 64 who were identified as needing more support have shown progress. “We will continue with that intervention visiting with their parents and their groups and looking at all the options we can to prepare the students. When you take the summative, anything can happen, but it’s mostly about making sure we did the middle-of-the-year assessment to determine students and find where their gaps were.
“It’s just a predictability thing when you look at the actual test and how they do that day.”
DISTRICT ACCOMPLISHMENTS
High school student Daniel Dominguez was accepted into Yale University’s Young Global Scholars, a summer program that focuses on science, technology, politics and economics.
Many musicians from the secondary schools performed in All-State concerts and helped their organizations earn high ratings in recent contests.
Two students each from the high school band and choir took part in the All-State events in Hot Springs in February. The high school Symphonic and Wind Ensemble groups and middle school band received superior ratings at the Concert Assessment and earned three Sweepstakes Awards.
Chamber Singers, Concert Choir and Freshman Choralettes earned Division I-superior ratings in performance and sight reading in a recent contest.
Several students will be honored for their achievements in art March 29 at the University of Arkansas at Monticello, where their work will be displayed and available to view.
The fifth and sixth grade chess team won first place at a recent tournament.
Some faculty members received honors. Gandy Elementary counselor Lashona Crater was named Southeast Elementary Counselor of the Year. At the White Hall Chamber of Commerce banquet, Assistant Superintendent Debbie Jones received the Clara Burton Educator Award and Coach Jason Mitchell received the Youth Award.
Members of White Hall High’s basketball teams helped run the Special Olympics basketball tournament held at White Hall by cheering on athletes from each school and assisting on the court. This was to make the experience “special for everyone involved,” according to a district memo.
Moody Elementary was recognized as the top fundraising group during the Polar Plunge for Special Olympics Arkansas. Moody raised $795 under the leadership of its Great Girl and Great Guy clubs. The fifth-grade members from these clubs chose to support their inclusion classmates through the project.
60TH ANNIVERSARY
In 1966 Coach Lynwood Cathey led the White Hall High boys basketball team to a state championship. Cathey earned a 114-22 record in four seasons with the Bulldogs, but after the title game, according to a district memo, he told the team in the locker room he accepted the role of freshman basketball coach at the University of Arkansas. Cathey later coached at the University of Arkansas at Monticello.
PERSONNEL MOVES
The district board approved the hire of Cody Knowlton as K-12 math coach, effective July 1.
Resignations were accepted from high school NAMI adviser Katharine James and Future Business Leaders of America adviser Dalton McGathy (effective June 30); physical education teacher and coach Cody Forga (effective March 27); high school English teacher Rebecca Story (effective June 30); middle school keyboarding teacher Alexia Williams-Thompson (retroactive to Feb. 24); and Gandy paraprofessional Kayla Davis-Handy (retroactive to March 2).
From Gandy, first grade teacher Norah Adams and fourth grade teacher Lisa Morris will retire (effective June 30).