State recommends removing Blytheville from academic distress

A great weight will most likely be lifted from the community in general and the school district in particular on February 9, 2017. In two letters dated January 27 and signed by M. Annette Barnes, Assistant Commissioner for the Division of Public School Accountability at the Arkansas Department of Education (ADE), the Blytheville Public School District was notified that the ADE will be recommending that the Arkansas State School Board remove the district and Blytheville High School from its current Academic Distress status during their February 9 meeting in Little Rock.

The Arkansas General Assembly, on May 23, 2016 passed Act 20, which provides that "The Department of Education may remove schools or school districts from academic distress status if the school or school district corrects all issues that caused the classification of academic distress".

The ADE letter further states, "To be removed form Academic Distress, school(s) and or school district combined math and literacy proficiency percentages on the most recent three-year period of state mandated assessments must exceed 49.5 percent. Using scores from 2013-2014, and concordant scores from 2014-2015 and 2015-2016"...[Blytheville School District and Blytheville High School] "exceeded the 49.5 percent student performance threshold for being designated as being in Academic Distress".

According to Superintendent Richard Atwill, the high school has been deemed in academic distress for three years and the district as a whole for two. According to Atwill, when a district is under academic distress for at least five years, the state may if they chose, remove the superintendent, school board and principals and run the district themselves until distress is removed.

Blytheville Middle School, it appears, will remain under academic distress, since it was not listed in any of the ADE letters.

"This is a great validation of the dedication and hard work of all of the teachers, administrators and instructional support staff in Blytheville School District who have worked tirelessly to provide great opportunities for all students in our city. I am so thankful to work with such great students and educators who truly have the mindset that Blytheville kids can succeed and are providing pathways for that success every day," Sally Cooke, Curriculum Director for Blytheville Public Schools said Monday.

Atwill told the CN, "I am extremely proud of the students and teachers in Blytheville Public Schools. I appreciate all of our people who support classroom instruction and who believe that our children can achieve. Every time I think about February 9, I well up with pride and joy in what Blytheville Schools has accomplished. God has answered many prayers through our children."

During last month's Blytheville School Board meeting, by a vote of 7-1 with Board Member Erin Langston Carrington casting the sole "no" vote, Atwill was given a one-year contract extension. There was no change to his compensation package, which is the same that he has received since his second year as Superintendent. Atwill has been superintendent for eight years.

thenry@blythevillecourier.com