The Office for Education Policy at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, honored Friendship Aspire STEM Academy schools in Arkansas with Beating the Odds Awards.
The schools were honored for demonstrating exceptional growth on the Arkansas Teaching and Learning Assessment System tests in English language arts and mathematics during the 2023-24 school year despite serving a high percentage of students with free and reduced lunches. Schools in which 66% or more of the student body is eligible for these lunches are considered.
The Office for Educational Policy examines educational issues through academic research and relays findings to educators, policymakers and other stakeholders across Arkansas, according to its Arkansas Education Report released earlier this week. The office stated that growth is calculated at the student level and reflects how much a student improved in score from the prior year, compared to what was predicted based on prior achievement history.
Each of Friendship’s campuses in Pine Bluff ranked in the top 10 for overall growth, based on math and ELA scores combined on the ATLAS. Friendship Aspire Academy Southeast’s middle school (grades 6-8) posted the eighth-highest ELA growth statewide with an overall content growth score of 83.56 and third-highest in the Central Region of Arkansas. The campus also serves grades 9-10 and will serve all four high school levels by 2027.
“We’re excited to see the growth that we have accomplished through our ELA classes,” said Friendship-Southeast Principal Anitra Rogers. “It just took all of us working together, hand-in-hand, to come together and do what’s best and put students first to see outcomes like this.”
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The Hazel Street and Downtown elementary campuses tied for the same places in three categories: sixth in high overall growth statewide (85.27), third in high math growth statewide (87.57) and second in high math growth for the Central Region.
Friendship-Hazel serves grades K-5. Friendship-Downtown served grades K-2 last school year and added third grade this school year.
“This is the standard,” first-year Friendship-Hazel Principal Rebecca Newby said. “A lot of my focus has been continuity. I was grateful I was able to come in and see what was working already, but a lot of the new focus is just in the midst of transition, preparing the mindsets for what happens in the midst of change to keep the momentum going, to keep everyone fired up, and understanding once again that the expectation is the expectation.”
In the family culture of Friendship, Newby explained, the mindset matters most and makes the difference in school performance.
“Pine Bluff has great things happening, and we as schools have to take ownership as far as what is happening inside of our schools and what do we expect and the outcomes that we get,” she said. “Friendship does not compromise the adult for the child, so we do not mind making sure everyone understands what the expectation is at all times.”
Ashley Williams, principal of the Downtown campus, said teachers are equipped with knowledge and resources to provide high-quality instruction.
“Most of our scholars have been with us since kindergarten, allowing us to build a strong academic foundation from an early age,” she said. “Through ongoing professional development, small group interventions and a focus on individualized learning, we ensure that every scholar receives the guidance they need to succeed. Our dedication to excellence allows both our teachers and students to thrive, leading to continuous growth and achievement.”
Three other Friendship campuses earned Beating the Odds awards: the Little Rock middle school, which was seventh in high overall growth statewide, fourth in high math growth statewide and second in high math growth in the Central Region; the North Little Rock elementary, which was fifth in high math growth in the Central Region; and Marvell-Elaine High, which was sixth in high ELA growth statewide and first in high ELA growth in the Southeast Region. The Friendship Education Foundation manages the Marvell-Elaine School District.
Also, Friendship’s Little Rock middle school earned Outstanding Educational Performance Awards from the OEP. The school ranked 15th in overall growth statewide, second in high math growth statewide, third in high math growth and fifth in high ELA growth for the Central Region.
“Our achievements reflect the hard work and resilience of our students, teachers and school leaders,” said Friendship Aspire Superintendent Phong Tran. “At Friendship Aspire, we believe in providing every child with the tools and support they need to excel, regardless of their background. These awards demonstrate that our commitment to high expectations, innovative teaching and strong community partnerships is making a significant impact. We will continue to execute excellence and ensure that our students are well-prepared to pursue careers in STEM fields such as aerospace engineering, artificial intelligence development, biomedical research and data analytics, where they can drive innovation and contribute to solving real-world challenges.”
Also in southeast Arkansas, Thomas C. Brunson Elementary (grades 4-5) and Warren Middle School (grades 6-8), both in the Warren School District, earned Beating the Odds honors. Brunson scored fifth in overall growth statewide among high-poverty elementaries (85.64), and Warren Middle was fourth in overall growth statewide (84.94) and second in math growth statewide (87.02) among high-poverty middle schools.