Arkansas Schools Recognized for Academic Growth and Beating the Odds in 2026 OEP Awards

The Office for Education Policy has announced the winners of its annual OEP Growth Awards and recognitions for schools that are Beating the Odds.

Released on the office’s annual Beating the Odds day, the newly published report evaluates public schools not by raw proficiency rates—which historically track closely with community wealth—but by academic growth. The distinction matters immensely for districts serving high-poverty populations.

Sarah McKenzie, executive director of the Office for Education Policy, pointed to the fundamental shift behind the metrics. Whether students walk through the doors already performing at the top of their class or struggling to master foundational concepts, the annual awards measure the actual distance those children travel academically over the course of a school year.

For nine years, OEP has been shining a light on the schools across Arkansas doing an outstanding job growing student learning. Whether the students at the school are high-achieving or haven’t yet passed the state assessment, receiving an OEP Award gives parents and communities a clear indicator that real academic progress is happening at their school.

This year’s metrics also introduce science as a tracked component of overall student growth. That adjustment gives education researchers a more complete picture of institutional impact across elementary, middle, and high school grade spans.

Weiner Elementary and Jacksonville Lighthouse High Lead the Growth Rankings

The numbers across the state reveal standout performances in districts serving challenging demographics. At the elementary level, Weiner Elementary in Harrisburg topped the statewide list for overall growth with a score of 85.79, while also leading in English language arts growth with an ELA score of 92.82. Ivy Hill Preparatory Academy followed closely behind with an overall growth score of 85.46, serving a student body where 93 percent face economic disadvantages.

For middle schools, Friendship Aspire Academy Little Rock Middle took the top spot for overall growth at 84.38 and led ELA growth at 87.88, with 89 percent of its students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. Atkins Middle led the state in math growth, while Russellville Intermediate captured the top spot for science.

At the high school level, Jacksonville Lighthouse High swept the board, securing the highest overall growth score at 89.45, a math growth score of 101.52, and the top science growth score at 86.98. Meanwhile, Dermott High ranked second in overall growth at 83.71, operating in a community where 94 percent of students face economic disadvantages.

Value-Added Models Versus Traditional Achievement Metrics

For years, public school evaluations relied strictly on proficiency snapshots. Those traditional lists reliably highlighted schools in affluent suburbs while penalizing districts operating in economically distressed areas.

The shift began in 2017 when Arkansas adopted a value-added growth model. Because academic growth measures improvement relative to students with similar prior achievement rather than absolute socioeconomic status, the metric correlates far less with community poverty rates. That structural shift allows researchers to identify high-performing systems where educators drive massive gains.

Yet, debates persist among policy analysts regarding how state letter grades incorporate these competing factors. While growth models isolate classroom effectiveness, overall state accountability grades still factor in raw achievement, keeping the conversation alive about how best to evaluate struggling districts fairly.

The institutions recognized by the Office for Education Policy demonstrate that rapid learning gains require deliberate operational strategies. Behind every high growth score sits a combination of targeted data-driven instruction, intensive family outreach, and systematic efforts to keep students engaged in the classroom every single day.