Summary:
The city of Cherry Valley, Arkansas, is home to two public schools within the highly-rated Cross County School District: Cross County Elementary Technical Academy (serving grades PK-6) and Cross County High School A New Technical School (serving grades 7-12). A defining characteristic of this district is that 100% of students are eligible for free or reduced lunch, yet both schools are achieving impressive academic results that often exceed state averages.
Cross County Elementary Technical Academy stands out as a powerhouse in mathematics, with an overall math proficiency rate of 61.9% that significantly surpasses the state average of 44.1%. This strength is consistent across all grade levels, with 5th graders achieving a remarkable 68.7% proficiency. The elementary school also showed dramatic year-over-year improvement, with English Language Arts proficiency jumping from 30.6% to 44.5% and Science from 41.8% to 50.5%. In contrast, Cross County High School A New Technical School excels in its upward trajectory, jumping 80 places in state rankings over two years to reach the 78th percentile. The high school boasts a strong 89.1% graduation rate and an exceptionally low 0.3% dropout rate, suggesting its technical programs effectively engage students.
Key differences between the schools include spending and class sizes: the high school spends $14,767 per student with a 11.1:1 student-teacher ratio, while the elementary school spends $11,666 per student with a 16.1:1 ratio. A notable finding is the "leaky pipeline" in math—while the elementary school excels, the high school's advanced math scores (Algebra at 32.1% and Geometry at 25%) fall slightly below state averages. Overall, the Cross County School District is clearly on the rise, with both schools defying expectations by achieving strong academic performance despite serving a 100% economically disadvantaged student population.
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