Woodrow Wilson Elementary School

Woodrow Wilson Elementary School in Paragould, AR, serves 233 students in grades 2 through 4 and is part of the Paragould School District. What makes this school truly stand out is its remarkable ability to achieve above-average test scores despite every single student coming from a low-income household (100% free/reduced lunch rate for the past three years). In the most recent school year, Woodrow Wilson outperformed the state average in English Language Arts (51.6% vs. 39.4%), Reading (50.4% vs. 40.4%), and Science (48.6% vs. 44%), a significant achievement that sets it apart from many schools facing similar challenges.

Within its own district, Woodrow Wilson is the top-performing elementary school, consistently outperforming its direct peers Baldwin Elementary School and Oak Grove Elementary School across nearly all subjects—despite all three schools having the same 100% poverty rate. For example, Woodrow Wilson’s all-grades ELA proficiency of 51.6% is significantly higher than Baldwin’s 31.4% and Oak Grove’s 48.4%. The school also achieves these results while spending less per student ($12,158) than its district peers, suggesting efficient use of resources. A particularly interesting trend is the dramatic improvement from 3rd to 4th grade, with 4th graders showing much higher proficiency in every subject, especially math (53.3% vs. 33.8%).

While Woodrow Wilson is a standout in its district, it’s worth noting that schools in nearby districts with lower poverty rates, such as Brookland Elementary School (38% free/reduced lunch) in the Brookland School District, achieve even higher scores. This comparison highlights the powerful impact of socioeconomic factors on academic achievement. However, Woodrow Wilson’s consistent upward trend over the last three years—with year-over-year improvements in ELA, Reading, and Science—shows that its current strategies are working. The school’s only notable weakness is 3rd-grade math, which at 33.8% proficiency trails the state average of 45.5%, suggesting an area for targeted improvement.