Summary:
The schools in zip code 72519, located in Calico Rock, Arkansas, consist of two schools—Calico Rock High School (grades 7-12) and Calico Rock Elementary School (grades K-6)—serving a total of 347 students within the Calico Rock School District, which is ranked 75th out of 251 districts in Arkansas and holds a 4-star rating.
Calico Rock Elementary School stands out as the academic leader in the area, consistently outperforming state averages in English Language Arts (48.6% proficient vs. 39.4% state) and Science (50.4% vs. 44% state). Its 3rd grade class is exceptional, achieving a 65.5% proficiency rate in ELA and 69% in Reading, far exceeding state norms. The school also showed strong year-over-year improvement, with ELA proficiency jumping from 37.9% to 48.6%. In contrast, Calico Rock High School excels in mathematics, with 9th-grade Algebra proficiency (44.4%) nearly doubling the state average (25.3%) and 10th-grade Geometry (24%) also above the state average (16.5%). The high school boasts an exceptionally low student-teacher ratio of 6.2:1 and a graduation rate of 92.0%, exceeding the state average of 90.1%.
Both schools serve a student population with very high economic need—over 98% of students are eligible for free or reduced lunch—yet the district earns a 4-star rating, indicating effective teaching and support systems. A key finding is the academic split: the elementary school is a powerhouse in ELA and Science, while the high school struggles in Reading (10th-grade proficiency at 30.7%, below the state average of 39%) but shines in advanced math. This suggests a potential discontinuity in curriculum focus between the two levels. Overall, both schools showed significant year-over-year growth, with the high school improving ELA by 9.1 percentage points and Science by 5.9 points, pointing to a positive trajectory for the district.
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