Spring 2015 South Conway County School District EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION, SERVING ALL STUDENTS DEVIL DOG CONNECTION MHS 5A State Championship Quiz Bowl Team Features On Saturday, April 25th, 2015 the Morrilton High School Quiz Bowl team defeated Little Rock Christian 255-195 to become the 2015 5A State Champions. In the photograph above, team members are (left to right, bottom row) Baxter Yarbrough, Brett Harken, Jonathan Rankin, Thomas Ragland, Coach Cody Vest, (left to right, top row) Igor Hrtko, John Hopkins, and Drew Patterson. The South Conway County School District congratulates these scholars on their tremendous academic achievement, outstanding performance, and continuous hard work. • 5A Quiz Bowl State Champions • 21st Century Tools • Nat’l Merit Finalist • School Letter Grades • Coming Soon • Class of 2015 The quest to become state champions began in August 2014 when MHS and 27 other schools from the 5A began competing. On March 14, 2015, the top 16 teams advanced to the regional tournament. MHS won their regional tournament and entered the state tournament in Maumelle on April 11th as the number one seeded team in 5A. Afterward, they advanced to the championship title game which aired live on AETN on April 25th and defeated Little Rock Christian for the victory. This year was MHS’s fourteenth appearance in the state championship quiz bowl game. This year’s state championship victory is the 7th quiz bowl state championship for MHS, with the first occuring in 2001. After the match, Johnathan Rankin (captain) and Brett Harken were also named to the all-state tournament team. Congratulations to the MHS 5A State Championship Quiz Bowl team. The SCCSD would also like to congratulate Sacred Heart Catholic School on its 1A State Championship Quiz Bowl win on the same day. There is much to celebrate in Morrilton, Arkansas!!! South Conway County School District 100 Baramore Street Morrilton, AR 72110 (501) 354-9400 www.sccsd.org The MES “Mighty Pup Singers” under the direction of music teacher, Vicky Ronk recently sang the National Anthem for the Arkansas Travelers “Kids Day” game on Tuesday, May 12, 2015. The 2nd grade choir members are pictured above and 3rd grade choir members are pictured below. During the 2014-2015 school year, SCCSD provided more technology for scholars than ever before. The district purchased a combination of laptops and Chromebooks to equip learners on all campuses with 21st century tools. MPS utilized one new computer lab with 30 Chromebooks in the kindergarten building, accessible to all MPS classes. MES received two new computer labs, with a total of 67 new computers. MIS scholars had access to a total of 120 new pieces of technology, with 90 devices equipping three brand new computer labs and one mobile lab of 30. These 90 computers were made possible through grant funding by the South Conway Public School Foundation. MJHS updated its computer labs and technology classes with a mixture of 81 new laptops and Chromebooks. MHS received a total of 50 new devices this year, which include 30 laptops in a new computer lab. In all, SCCSD placed 363 new technology tools in the hands of our 21st century scholars. Rankin, National Merit Finalist Plummer Takes Best of Show The SCCSD and MHS are pleased to announce that Jonathan Rankin has been selected as a National Merit Finalist. This is a tremendous honor for Jonathan, his family, and our learning community. The National Merit® Scholarship Program is an academic competition for recognition and scholarships that began in 1955. High school students enter the National Merit Program by taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/ NMSQT®) and by meeting published program entry and participation requirements. Emily Plummer received first place in two recent art competitions for “Mitchell,” shown below. She was one of five MHS students to place first at the AYAA 2015 Arkansas Young Artists Association State Competition, made up of 50 schools and 1400 students. Each student is allowed to bring five pieces of artwork. Emily also received Best of Show at the AYAA 2015 State Competition. Her piece was voted best of show by all judges at the competition. MHS students received 16 awards, including 5 first places, and three of the 12 scholarships awarded. When A School Letter Grade Doesn’t Tell The Entire Story -Shawn Halbrook, Superintendent of Schools In 2013, the Arkansas Legislature passed Act 696. This law required the state to implement an A-F grading scale for schools. The goal is to help parents and the public better understand how well a school is performing. The system designed to reflect the intent of the law has taken into account the following factors: 1. Student Performance on the State-Mandated Assessments (Benchmark and End-of-Course (EOC) tests in 2014. This indicated with the term “Weighted Performance” (WP). A school earns 1.25 points for each student scoring advanced, 1 point for each student scoring proficient, and 0.25 points for each student scoring basic. Those points are added up and divided by the total number of students tested and then multiplied by 100 to give a school the “Weighted Performance”. WP = (Total Points/Total Tested) X 100. 2. Achievement of Annual Measurable Objectives (AMO’s) - This is a set of targets for student achievement. The AMO’s are calculated based on how a school performed in the baseline year of 2011. Schools earn points based on the number of AMO targets met. If a school meets no targets, the school earns 55 points. 3. Achievement gaps between Non-TAGG and TAGG Students (TAGG are those students in poverty, students receiving special education services, and students where English is their second language). Schools earn points or have points subtracted based on the size of the achievement gap. 4. Graduation Rate for High School - To calculate the Total Graduation Rate, there is a Gap Adjustment between Non-TAGG and TAGG Students. Points are added or subtracted from the Graduation Rate based on the size of the Graduation Rate Gap between Non-TAGG and TAGG Students. The Arkansas Department of Education uses a complex formula to determine the amount of raw points a school earns based on the listed criteria above. For schools that are not a high school, the formula is as follows: Overall School Score = (1.5) (Weighted performance + Gap Adjustment) + (1.5) ( Targets Met Points) For High Schools, the formula is as follows: Overall Score = (Weighted performance + Gap Adjustment) + (Targets Met Points) + (Graduation Rate + Gap Adjustment) School Grades and Grading Scale 300 Point Grading Scale: A = 270 to 300 points B = 240 to 269 points C = 210 to 239 points D = 180 to 209 points F = Less than 180 points (Continued) What the Scores Mean according to the Arkansas Department of Education: A: 270 to 300 Points • Students score well on statewide tests. • School meets its yearly student performance goals. • Groups of students (for example white, African American, special education, English as a Second Language, low income) meet progress goals. • High schools meet graduation goals. • Any achievement gap is offset by how well the school is doing in other areas. B: 240 to 269 Points • Students score well on statewide tests, but a few students need additional help. • School meets most student performance goals but others need improvement. • Some high schools may not meet their graduation goals. • Some schools may have an achievement gap within the school. C: 210 to 239 Points • Some students score “proficient” on statewide tests, but some students need additional help. • Schools may not meet some performance goals. • Specific groups of students may need help to meet progress goals. • Some high schools may not meet graduation goals. • Some schools may have an achievement gap within the school. D: 180 to 209 Points • Most students do not score “proficient” on statewide tests and need additional help. • Schools may not meet most performance goals. • Specific groups of students may need help to meet progress goals. • Some high schools may not meet graduation goals. • Some schools may have a sizable achievement gap within the school. (Continued) F: Less than 180 Points • Most or a large number of students do not score “proficient” on statewide tests and need additional help. • Schools do not meet performance goals. • Most groups of students do not meet progress goals. • Some high schools may not meet graduation goals. Now what does all this mean for the schools in the South Conway County School District? At Morrilton Elementary School (MES) scholars achieved at very high rates on the 2014 Benchmark Assessments in Math and Literacy. MES’s AMO Targets for 2014 were 94.85% in Literacy and 98.13% in Math. A breakdown of the results is as follows: 1. 83 students or 55% scored Advanced in Math 2. 44 students or 28% scored Proficient in Math 3. 85 students or 55% scored Advanced in Literacy 4. 35 students or 24% scored Proficient in Literacy To summarize, 84.11% of the students at MES scored Advanced or Proficient in Math. In Literacy, 79.47% of the students at MES scored Advanced or Proficient in Literacy. Looking at these statistics along with the descriptors above, MES appears to may have received a letter grade of a “B”. No, MES is considered a “C”. MES outperformed the State Average in Math by 11.41%. MES also outperformed the State Average in Literacy by 2.92%. At Morrilton Intermediate School (MIS) scholars also achieved at high rates on the 2014 Benchmark Assessments in Math and Literacy. MIS’s AMO Targets for 2014 were 89.78% in Literacy and 92.49% in Math. A breakdown of the results is as follows: 1. 193 students or 41.2% scored Advanced in Math 2. 160 students or 34.1% scored Proficient in Math 3. 177 students or 37.8% scored Advanced in Literacy 4. 191 students or 40.8% scored Proficient in Literacy To summarize, 75.43% of the students at MIS scored Advanced or Proficient in Math. In Literacy, 78.63% of the students at MIS scored Advanced or Proficient in Literacy. Looking at these statistics along with the descriptors above, MIS appears to may have received a letter grade of a “B”. No, MIS is considered a “C”. MIS outperformed the State Average in Math by 2.73%. MIS also outperformed the State Average in Literacy by 2.08%. (Continued) At Morrilton Junior High School (MJHS) scholars also achieved at good rates on the 2014 Benchmark Assessments in Math and Literacy. MJHS’s AMO Targets for 2014 were 81.37% in Literacy and 79.71% in Math. A breakdown of the results is as follows: 1. 87 students or 22.44% scored Advanced in Math 2. 184 students or 46.93% scored Proficient in Math 3. 80 students or 24.09% scored Advanced in Literacy 4. 174 students or 52.4% scored Proficient in Literacy To summarize, 69.13% of the students at MJHS scored Advanced or Proficient in Math. In Literacy, 76.51% of the students at MJHS scored Advanced or Proficient in Literacy. Looking at these statistics along with the descriptors above, MJHS appears to may have received a letter grade of a “B” or “C”. No, MJHS is considered a “D”. MJHS Staff and Administration are not satisfied with the current student achievement metrics. They have committed themselves to raising learning expectations in the classroom. The MJHS Team has also devoted this school year in designing instructional lesson base on the “Understanding By Design” research to improve instruction in the classroom. At Morrilton High School (MHS) scholars also achieved at good rates on the 2014 EOC Assessments in Math and Literacy. MHS’s AMO Targets for 2014 were 71.88% in Literacy, 83.88% in Math, and in 82.05% Graduation. A breakdown of the results is as follows: 1. 39 students or 17.1% scored Advanced in Math 2. 123 students or 54.1% scored Proficient in Math 3. 37 students or 21.14% scored Advanced in Literacy 4. 91 students or 52% scored Proficient in Literacy In high schools, another variable is added to the formula for calculating the school letter grade - Graduation Rate. Morrilton High School achieved a graduation rate in 2013 of 91.72%. This score is added to the overall points for a high school. To summarize, 71.37% of the students at MHS scored Advanced or Proficient in Math. In Literacy, 73.14% of the students at MHS scored Advanced or Proficient in Literacy. Looking at these statistics along with the descriptors above. MHS received a letter grade of a “B”. MHS Staff and Administration are not satisfied with the current student achievement metrics. They have committed themselves to raising learning expectations in the classroom. The MHS Team has also devoted this school year in designing instructional lesson base on the “Understanding By Design” research to improve instruction in the classroom. In summary, based on a number of factors, the school letter grades do not tell the entire story of a school’s performance. Common Core Curriculum does NOT align with the Benchmark and EOC assessment given in 2014, and AMO’s could more easily be obtained by scoring lower in the baseline year of 2011. Thus, the letter grades do not reflect the real quality of a school. If you have questions regarding the school grading scale, please call 501.354.9400 or email [email protected] Puppies to Dog s Ba n et qu On April 30, 2015, First Baptist Church of Morrilton hosted the “Puppies to Dogs” banquet. This was a celebration for MHS seniors and MPS kindergarteners. MHS seniors served as mentors and worked with their buddies on several community projects. “Puppies to Dogs” is sponsored by Ms. Janis Horn and Mr. Cody Vest. Thank you to First Baptist Church for hosting this event. MHS Choir Receives Honors The Morrilton Melodies received excellent and superior ratings at Region and State Festivals. All Morrilton Choirs have tripled in size during the 2014-2015 school year and SCCSD added two additional choirs, Junior High Male Chorus and Senior High Bel Canto. The Melodies are featured below when they attended State Festival at UCA. Band Scholarships UCA ATU ASU Six of the graduating band members from MHS will be receiving scholarships to play in college bands. (L-R) Torey Jones, Hannah Wilson, Justin Mendoza, Adam Pruitt (all UCA), Brittany Cook (ATU), and Noah Nichols (ASU) will continue to represent our community this fall at various college campuses. Hannah, Justin, Brittany, and Noah are majoring in music. The class of 2015 includes twenty students that are in band. Thirty percent of senior band members are choosing to continue their music education. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory The Spring Musical this year was Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. It involved nearly 4 months of rehearsals and over 60 cast, crew, and orchestra. It marked Director Brad Parks’ first musical at his native Morrilton High School and had 8 showings. It met with huge community and outside success, reaching a total attendance of 1,161 people. Starring students included junior Zach Jolly and senior Dustin Denham as Willy Wonka, Junior Kyle Chassells as Charlie Bucket, and Senior Brett Harken as Grandpa Joe. The crew for the show was led by Senior Stage Manager Jordan Yates and Senior Technical Director Thomas Ragland. A huge thank you to all those who gave resources and time to Troupe 3131 that allowed such a successful and enjoyable show. We are proud of these talented students and their hard work. STEM Opportunities for Learning Morrilton Junior High School plans to offer two of Project Lead The Way’s foundation units, Design & Modeling and Automation & Robotics, during the 2015-2016 school year. Optional specialization units of study will be considered for 2016-2017. The Gateway program will introduce junior high students to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields of study. Gateway will also provide foundational understanding, allowing students to go on to study Pre-Engineering at MHS or participate in Biomedical Sciences at River Valley Career Academy. To learn more, visit: pltw.org New Pathways for Learning During 2015-2016, MHS will provide even more opportunities for learning through additional course selections. Next year, students in grades 9-12 will be able to choose from numerous additional high school courses through Virtual Arkansas digital learning online. In addition, students meeting ACT requirements will be able to pursue concurrent credit online through Arkansas Tech University, while sitting in class at MHS. Furthermore, MHS students meeting ACT or COMPASS requirements may elect to receive concurrent credit through the University of Arkansas Community College at Morrilton by attending classes on the UACCM campus. These new pathways for learning will open countless more opportunities for our scholars. Digital learning high school courses include subjects such as French, German, Psychology, Photography, Web Page Design, Criminal Law, and Forensic Science, just to name a few. In addition to new high school courses, there are numerous opportunities for concurrent credits through ATU and UACCM. For more information about enrollment and applicable fees, please contact the building counselor at MHS. TYLER ATKINSON DWAYNE FOSTER DAKOTA MCNABB JAMES SWAFFAR VICTORIA BARROW KYNDELL FRANKLIN CASSI MEELER TARA SWAFFAR SHELBY BEEN HOLLIE FREEMAN JUSTIN MENDOZA MARCEL SWINTON SHAKIR BIZZELL HANNAH FRENCH TERRENCE MINOR MARQUIS SWINTON ANDRE BLACK TYLER GABBARD LAUREN MITCHELL ROBERT TAYLOR MELISSA BLAKE SANORRIS GARRETT JONATHAN MOORE JUSTIN TEDFORD JONATHAN BLAYLOCK JOSHUA GAYLER MORGAN MULLINS ASHLEY THOMPSON TERRY BOND EVAN GRIGGS CIERA NEWSOME KEAYRRA THUSTON MARCUS BOWLES ASHLEY HALL NOAH NICHOLS TREVOR TIDWELL RYAN BRADFORD D’MAREE HAMMOND JOSE ORTIZ-MACIAS KIANDRA TONEY JOSHUA BROWN ALEX HARKEN DAKOTA OSBORNE DONNIESHA TREZVANT KENDALL BROWN PRINCESS HENDERSON KATLYN PARKS DAIELEION TURNER KAYLA CAMPBELL BAILEY HENRY TRENT PATRICK TERRIN USHERY SEBESTIAN CASTEAL ANDREA HERRERA NAKAILA PEREZ ANGELINA VALENTINE ESTEFANIA CERVANTES BRET HOELZEMAN BRYSON PHILLIPS KAILEIGH VANDERVEER JAMES CHAMBERS HALEY HOLLAND CHANDLER PINAL CALIHAN WEST CODY CHANCE MADISON HOYER EMILY PLUMMER LONDYN WIEDOWER ALEXIS CHAVEZ ASHLEY HUNDLEY JOSE-ALEX PONCE AYANA WILLIAMS ELIZABETH CHEEK DRE JACKSON ANDREW POTTER BRITTANY WILLIAMS TROY CLONINGER VICTORIA JACKSON DEJA PRICE-HUFFMAN CHERIE WILLIAMS CHRISTOPHER COGBURN AMY JENKINS ADAM PRUITT CYNTHIA WILLIAMS TYRAH COLBERT ALEXIS JOHNSON WILLIAM QUALLS KALEY WILLIAMS SHELBI COLLINS BRANDON JOHNSON THOMAS RAGLAND KOY WILLIAMS BRITTANY COOK ALYSSA JONES JONATHAN RANKIN TARIK WILLIAMS ALEXIS CRISWELL BRITTANY JONES MARGHERITA RAVAIOLI HANNAH WILSON ALEXUS CRISWELL LYNDSEY JONES MUHAMMAD RAZAK ABIGAIL WINDHAM JAYLA CRISWELL TOREY JONES JALESHA RICE EMILY WISDOM JESSICA CRISWELL JOSEPH KELLY RESHONNE RICE KIRSTEN WOOD CLAYTON CROWELL RYAN KORDSMEIER OLIVIA RICKETT DANIELLE WRIGHT LUIS DAVID KEAIR LEE RAYDEN RIDDLE KAYLA WRIGHT CHAD DAVIDSON SETH LEHMANN JORGE RIVERO SHAMIA WRIGHT BRANDIE DAVIS HUNTER LENTZ KAYLA ROBERTS BAXTER YARBROUGH DUSTIN DENHAM JESSIE LENTZ CARLA ROBERTSON EASTON YARBROUGH SHYANNE DENNIS JESSICA LUJANO MICHEALA ROBERTSON JORDAN YATES DANIELLE DIAZ DIAMOND MAHOMES SHAYLEE SABLAN ALXANDR YORK REBECCA EDWARDS JESSIE MASON EDUARDO SANDOVAL HANNAH ESTES KRISSY MCDANIEL AUSTIN SCHREPFER BRITTANY EVANS LOGAN MCDANIEL RENEE SHEPHERD PHILLECIA EVERETTE BRETT MCELROY HALEY SHUMATE MASHELA FLAKES HANNAH MCGEHEE JAMES SMILEY MADISON FLETCHER SKYE MCGINTY JALYN SMITH MONTANA FLOWERS ASHLEY MCINTARE BRAILEE STARR STEPHANIE FLYNN CYRUS MCKASKLE ANNASTASIA STEINMETZ BRYAN FOSHEE WHITNEY MCKIM JORDIN STINNETT ns o i t a l tu a r g n Co MHS 5!!! 01 2 f o Class
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