Summary:
This analysis examines three elementary schools in zip code 72201 (Little Rock, AR), serving grades K-6, which include a virtual school and two public charter schools.
The standout school in this area is Estem Elementary School, which is the only school to achieve a 2-star rating and consistently outperforms its peers. It serves the highest percentage of low-income students (84.23% free/reduced lunch) yet achieves the best academic results, meeting the state average in English Language Arts (39.3%) and leading in Math (35.9%) and Science (33.4%). In contrast, Arkansas Virtual Academy Elementary operates with a massive enrollment of 1,387 students but has the lowest proficiency rates across all subjects, a very high student-teacher ratio of 43.5:1, and the lowest per-student spending at $9,069. The two Estem Public Charter School campuses show a resource disparity: Estem East Village Elementary Public Charter School spends $1,495 more per student ($12,912) than Estem Elementary ($11,417) but achieves lower academic results, suggesting Estem Elementary uses its resources more effectively.
Key takeaways include that Estem Elementary shows a clear upward trend, improving its state rank from 313th to 302nd and boosting proficiency rates across all subjects year-over-year. However, a notable dip in 4th grade performance at Estem Elementary (e.g., Math dropping to 42.2% from 3rd grade levels) may indicate a need for targeted intervention. The virtual school model of Arkansas Virtual Academy prioritizes scale and cost-efficiency, but this correlates with consistently low academic performance. Overall, parents in zip code 72201 should consider Estem Elementary as the top-performing option, while the charter schools offer more personalized learning environments compared to the virtual school.
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