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Week 14: Interim ATLAS Results
Happy Friday!
Thank you for your hard work this week and for your continued dedication to our mission. We have kept a steady focus on our district performance targets in attendance, discipline, and academic growth, and it is encouraging to see progress in all three areas. Each building has maintained strong attendance as we enter November, discipline referrals remain below last year’s levels, and teachers continue to work with precision and purpose toward improved student outcomes. Your consistency and care are the foundation for our students’ success, and I want to thank you for that commitment.
This week, we reviewed the ATLAS Interim Assessment results for English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science. These midyear assessments help us gauge alignment to standards, adjust pacing, and ensure that all students are progressing toward mastery. The data provides both affirmation of what is working and direction for where our attention is needed next. We will use Monday’s professional development day to study these results more closely, identify priority needs in each building, and plan the next phase of instruction. It should be a productive and purposeful day of preparation for the weeks ahead. Now, we will discuss our results.
District Results
Districtwide, Mena Public Schools continues to perform above the state average across tested subjects. Although only about 45 percent of standards have been taught so far, our students are already showing deep understanding of key concepts and growing confidence in their learning.
Compared with state averages, Mena students are outperforming peers statewide in every tested subject, particularly in Science and English Language Arts.
These outcomes confirm that our focus on aligned instruction, data-informed teaching, and consistent pacing is working. Students are not only meeting expectations, but they are also learning how to reason, apply knowledge, and communicate their thinking.
Comparing This Year to Last Year
When compared with Fall 2024, districtwide results show meaningful improvement in every tested area.
Bright Spots
These gains represent meaningful movement for our students. Approximately 120 more students reached proficiency in English Language Arts, about 85 more students did so in Mathematics, and around 60 additional students met or exceeded expectations in Science. This upward shift shows clear evidence that our instructional efforts are helping more learners reach the next level.
ELA: Level 1 dropped by seven points, and Level 4 (advanced) rose from 4 percent to 6 percent. This shows that Science of Reading strategies and shared writing efforts are producing consistent gains across grade levels.
Math: Students continue to progress through the performance levels, especially in multi-step reasoning and real-world problem-solving. Foundational numeracy in elementary grades is translating into success in middle school and high school coursework.
Science: Advanced performance (Level 4) grew from 7 percent to 10 percent, a significant increase in students demonstrating deep conceptual understanding. Despite fewer students testing last year, the upward pattern remains strong.
Areas of Emphasis
Our next area of focus will be helping every student move to the next level of achievement, especially supporting those at Level 2 (basic understanding) in reaching Level 3 (proficient understanding). Growth at every level matters, and progress begins when students see themselves as capable learners who can influence their own outcomes.
Teachers will continue to use item-level reports in PLCs to identify which standards and skills need reinforcement. However, our empha
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