Summary:
The Dermott School District is a small, rural district in Arkansas with two schools—Dermott Elementary School (Pre-K through 6th grade) and Dermott High School (7th through 12th grade)—serving a total of 289 students, where 100% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.
The standout story is at Dermott High School, which has shown remarkable positive momentum. In just two years, it jumped from a 0-star rating and the 5th percentile to a 2-star rating and the 45th percentile in state rankings. This turnaround is backed by strong test score gains: English Language Arts proficiency rose from 21.4% to 35.7%, Reading from 18% to 40%, and Science from 10.6% to 26.6%. In contrast, Dermott Elementary School shows a troubling "leaky pipeline." While 4th graders outperform the state average in ELA (47.8% vs. 41.4%) and Reading (43.5% vs. 40.9%), performance drops sharply by 6th grade, where ELA proficiency falls to just 13.3%. This suggests the elementary school excels at early foundational skills but struggles to maintain progress as curriculum complexity increases.
Key metrics reveal significant challenges. The district spends well above average—$22,192 per student at the elementary and $19,548 at the high school—yet overall proficiency lags far behind state averages in all subjects, especially Mathematics (19% district vs. 44.1% state). The high school's graduation rate is 80.0%, below the state average of 90.1%. However, the high school's rapid improvement offers a beacon of hope, proving that progress is possible even in a high-poverty context. The district should analyze what changed at the high school—such as new leadership or teaching strategies—and consider replicating those approaches at the elementary level to address the critical drop-off between 4th and 6th grade.
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