Summary:
The Carlisle School District in Carlisle, Arkansas, serves 660 students across two schools: Carlisle Elementary School (Pre-K through 6th grade) and Carlisle High School (7th through 12th grade), with over 61% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch, indicating a high level of economic need.
Carlisle Elementary School stands out for a remarkable "6th Grade Effect," where 6th graders dramatically outperform state averages in every subject—most notably in Math (68.5% proficient vs. 45.1% state) and Science (48.1% vs. 42.5%). This suggests a highly effective teacher or targeted program at that grade level, contrasting with lower 4th and 5th-grade scores. In contrast, Carlisle High School shines in Biology, with 43.1% of 10th graders proficient, exceeding the state average of 35.1%. However, the high school struggles with a sharp decline in math proficiency, particularly in 8th-grade Algebra I (33.3% vs. 73.9% state) and 10th-grade Geometry (5.2% vs. 16.5% state), indicating students may be placed in advanced courses without foundational skills.
Despite high per-student spending ($15,180 at the elementary and $17,555 at the high school) and very low student-teacher ratios (11.8:1 and 8:1, respectively), both schools rank in the bottom 25-30% of the state, creating a paradox of high investment with low academic returns. Positively, the high school maintains a strong graduation rate of 92.0% and a very low dropout rate of 0.7%. Overall, while the district shows bright spots in specific grades and subjects, families should be aware of the inconsistent performance across grade levels and the need for stronger math support in middle and high school.
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