Summary:
The analysis focuses on a single school, Arkansas Virtual Academy Middle School, a virtual public charter school in Little Rock serving grades 6 through 8 with a large enrollment of 1,315 students. This school is part of the Arkansas Virtual Academy district, which ranks in the 18th percentile statewide (206 out of 251 districts) and holds a 1-star rating.
The most striking finding is the school's exceptional performance in Algebra, which stands in stark contrast to its struggles in other subjects. In the 2025-2026 school year, 51.4% of all tested students were proficient in Algebra, nearly double the district average of 28.6% and well above the state average of 36.9%. Within this, 7th graders achieved an impressive 80% proficiency rate. However, overall proficiency in core subjects like English Language Arts (24% proficient vs. 39.4% state average) and Mathematics (27.7% vs. 44.1% state average) is significantly below state averages. The school's state ranking has also declined over three years, from the 42nd percentile in 2023-2024 to the 21st percentile in 2025-2026, indicating it is falling further behind state performance trends.
Key metrics reveal a school facing notable challenges. The student-teacher ratio is very high at 30.1:1, and 56.27% of students are economically disadvantaged. Spending per student is $8,363. The inconsistent grade-level performance—for example, 6th graders scoring 21.7% proficient in Mathematics versus 7th graders at 31%—suggests the virtual curriculum may not effectively scaffold learning across grades. The "Algebra Anomaly" points to a possible specialized program for advanced math students, but the overall data highlights the academic difficulties common in virtual schooling models, where high student-teacher ratios and low proficiency rates persist despite relatively high per-student spending.
Thank you for your feedback!