1. education
2. school

Spring 2015
South Conway County School District
EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION, SERVING ALL STUDENTS
DEVIL DOG CONNECTION
MHS 5A State Championship
Quiz Bowl Team
Features
On Saturday, April 25th, 2015 the Morrilton High School Quiz Bowl
team defeated Little Rock Christian 255-195 to become the 2015 5A
State Champions. In the photograph above, team members are (left to
right, bottom row) Baxter Yarbrough, Brett Harken, Jonathan Rankin,
Thomas Ragland, Coach Cody Vest, (left to right, top row) Igor Hrtko,
John Hopkins, and Drew Patterson. The South Conway County School
District congratulates these scholars on their tremendous academic
achievement, outstanding performance, and continuous hard work.
• 5A Quiz Bowl State
Champions
• 21st Century Tools
• Nat’l Merit Finalist
• School Letter Grades
• Coming Soon
• Class of 2015
The quest to become state champions began in August 2014 when
MHS and 27 other schools from the 5A began competing. On March
14, 2015, the top 16 teams advanced to the regional tournament. MHS
won their regional tournament and entered the state tournament in
Maumelle on April 11th as the number one seeded team in 5A. Afterward, they advanced to the championship title game which aired live on
AETN on April 25th and defeated Little Rock Christian for the victory.
This year was MHS’s fourteenth appearance in the state championship quiz bowl game. This year’s state championship victory is the 7th
quiz bowl state championship for MHS, with the first occuring in 2001.
After the match, Johnathan Rankin (captain) and Brett Harken were also
named to the all-state tournament team.
Congratulations to the MHS 5A State Championship Quiz Bowl
team. The SCCSD would also like to congratulate Sacred Heart
Catholic School on its 1A State Championship Quiz Bowl win on the
same day. There is much to celebrate in Morrilton, Arkansas!!!
South Conway County
School District
100 Baramore Street
Morrilton, AR 72110
(501) 354-9400
www.sccsd.org
The MES “Mighty Pup Singers” under the direction of music teacher, Vicky Ronk recently sang the National Anthem for the Arkansas Travelers “Kids
Day” game on Tuesday, May 12, 2015. The 2nd
grade choir members are pictured above and 3rd
grade choir members are pictured below.
During the 2014-2015 school year, SCCSD provided
more technology for scholars than ever before. The district purchased a combination of laptops and Chromebooks
to equip learners on all campuses with 21st century tools.
MPS utilized one new computer lab with 30 Chromebooks
in the kindergarten building, accessible to all MPS classes.
MES received two new computer labs, with a total of 67
new computers. MIS scholars had access to a total of 120
new pieces of technology, with 90 devices equipping three
brand new computer labs and one mobile lab of 30. These
90 computers were made possible through grant funding by
the South Conway Public School Foundation. MJHS updated its computer labs and technology classes with a mixture of 81 new laptops and Chromebooks. MHS received a
total of 50 new devices this year, which include 30 laptops
in a new computer lab. In all, SCCSD placed 363 new
technology tools in the hands of our 21st century scholars.
Rankin, National Merit Finalist
Plummer Takes Best of Show
The SCCSD and MHS are pleased to announce that Jonathan Rankin has been selected
as a National Merit Finalist. This is a tremendous
honor for Jonathan, his family, and our learning
community. The National Merit® Scholarship
Program is an academic competition for recognition and scholarships
that began in 1955.
High school students
enter the National
Merit Program by
taking the Preliminary SAT/National
Merit Scholarship
Qualifying Test (PSAT/
NMSQT®) and by
meeting published program entry and participation requirements.
Emily Plummer received first place in two
recent art competitions for “Mitchell,” shown
below. She was one of five MHS students to
place first at the AYAA 2015 Arkansas Young
Artists Association State Competition, made
up of 50 schools and 1400 students. Each
student is allowed to bring five pieces of
artwork. Emily also received Best of Show at
the AYAA 2015 State
Competition. Her
piece was voted best
of show by all judges
at the competition.
MHS students received 16 awards, including 5 first places,
and three of the 12
scholarships awarded.
When A School Letter Grade Doesn’t Tell The Entire Story
-Shawn Halbrook, Superintendent of Schools
In 2013, the Arkansas Legislature passed Act 696. This law required the state to implement an A-F grading
scale for schools. The goal is to help parents and the public better understand how well a school is performing.
The system designed to reflect the intent of the law has taken into account the following factors:
1. Student Performance on the State-Mandated Assessments (Benchmark and End-of-Course (EOC) tests
in 2014. This indicated with the term “Weighted Performance” (WP). A school earns 1.25 points for
each student scoring advanced, 1 point for each student scoring proficient, and 0.25 points for each
student scoring basic. Those points are added up and divided by the total number of students tested and
then multiplied by 100 to give a school the “Weighted Performance”. WP = (Total Points/Total Tested)
X 100.
2. Achievement of Annual Measurable Objectives (AMO’s) - This is a set of targets for student achievement. The AMO’s are calculated based on how a school performed in the baseline year of 2011.
Schools earn points based on the number of AMO targets met. If a school meets no targets, the school
earns 55 points.
3. Achievement gaps between Non-TAGG and TAGG Students (TAGG are those students in poverty,
students receiving special education services, and students where English is their second language).
Schools earn points or have points subtracted based on the size of the achievement gap.
4. Graduation Rate for High School - To calculate the Total Graduation Rate, there is a Gap Adjustment between Non-TAGG and TAGG Students. Points are added or subtracted from the Graduation Rate based
on the size of the Graduation Rate Gap between Non-TAGG and TAGG Students.
The Arkansas Department of Education uses a complex formula to determine the amount of raw points a school
earns based on the listed criteria above.
For schools that are not a high school, the formula is as follows:
Overall School Score = (1.5) (Weighted performance + Gap Adjustment) + (1.5) ( Targets Met Points)
For High Schools, the formula is as follows:
Overall Score = (Weighted performance + Gap Adjustment) + (Targets Met Points) + (Graduation Rate + Gap
Adjustment)
School Grades and Grading Scale
300 Point Grading Scale:
A = 270 to 300 points
B = 240 to 269 points
C = 210 to 239 points
D = 180 to 209 points
F = Less than 180 points
(Continued)
What the Scores Mean according to the Arkansas Department of Education:
A: 270 to 300 Points
• Students score well on statewide tests.
• School meets its yearly student performance goals.
• Groups of students (for example white, African American, special education, English as a
Second Language, low income) meet progress goals.
• High schools meet graduation goals.
• Any achievement gap is offset by how well the school is doing in other areas.
B: 240 to 269 Points
• Students score well on statewide tests, but a few students need additional help.
• School meets most student performance goals but others need improvement.
• Some high schools may not meet their graduation goals.
• Some schools may have an achievement gap within the school.
C: 210 to 239 Points
• Some students score “proficient” on statewide tests, but some students need additional help.
• Schools may not meet some performance goals.
• Specific groups of students may need help to meet progress goals.
• Some high schools may not meet graduation goals.
• Some schools may have an achievement gap within the school.
D: 180 to 209 Points
• Most students do not score “proficient” on statewide tests and need additional help.
• Schools may not meet most performance goals.
• Specific groups of students may need help to meet progress goals.
• Some high schools may not meet graduation goals.
• Some schools may have a sizable achievement gap within the school.
(Continued)
F: Less than 180 Points
• Most or a large number of students do not score “proficient” on statewide tests and need
additional help.
• Schools do not meet performance goals.
• Most groups of students do not meet progress goals.
• Some high schools may not meet graduation goals.
Now what does all this mean for the schools in the South Conway County School District?
At Morrilton Elementary School (MES) scholars achieved at very high rates on the 2014 Benchmark
Assessments in Math and Literacy. MES’s AMO Targets for 2014 were 94.85% in Literacy and 98.13% in
Math. A breakdown of the results is as follows:
1. 83 students or 55% scored Advanced in Math
2. 44 students or 28% scored Proficient in Math
3. 85 students or 55% scored Advanced in Literacy
4. 35 students or 24% scored Proficient in Literacy
To summarize, 84.11% of the students at MES scored Advanced or Proficient in Math. In Literacy, 79.47%
of the students at MES scored Advanced or Proficient in Literacy. Looking at these statistics along with the
descriptors above, MES appears to may have received a letter grade of a “B”. No, MES is considered a “C”.
MES outperformed the State Average in Math by 11.41%. MES also outperformed the State Average in Literacy by 2.92%.
At Morrilton Intermediate School (MIS) scholars also achieved at high rates on the 2014 Benchmark
Assessments in Math and Literacy. MIS’s AMO Targets for 2014 were 89.78% in Literacy and 92.49% in Math.
A breakdown of the results is as follows:
1. 193 students or 41.2% scored Advanced in Math
2. 160 students or 34.1% scored Proficient in Math
3. 177 students or 37.8% scored Advanced in Literacy
4. 191 students or 40.8% scored Proficient in Literacy
To summarize, 75.43% of the students at MIS scored Advanced or Proficient in Math. In Literacy, 78.63% of
the students at MIS scored Advanced or Proficient in Literacy. Looking at these statistics along with the descriptors above, MIS appears to may have received a letter grade of a “B”. No, MIS is considered a “C”. MIS
outperformed the State Average in Math by 2.73%. MIS also outperformed the State Average in Literacy by
2.08%.
(Continued)
At Morrilton Junior High School (MJHS) scholars also achieved at good rates on the 2014 Benchmark
Assessments in Math and Literacy. MJHS’s AMO Targets for 2014 were 81.37% in Literacy and 79.71% in
Math. A breakdown of the results is as follows:
1. 87 students or 22.44% scored Advanced in Math
2. 184 students or 46.93% scored Proficient in Math
3. 80 students or 24.09% scored Advanced in Literacy
4. 174 students or 52.4% scored Proficient in Literacy
To summarize, 69.13% of the students at MJHS scored Advanced or Proficient in Math. In Literacy, 76.51% of
the students at MJHS scored Advanced or Proficient in Literacy. Looking at these statistics along with the descriptors above, MJHS appears to may have received a letter grade of a “B” or “C”. No, MJHS is considered a
“D”. MJHS Staff and Administration are not satisfied with the current student achievement metrics. They have
committed themselves to raising learning expectations in the classroom. The MJHS Team has also devoted
this school year in designing instructional lesson base on the “Understanding By Design” research to improve
instruction in the classroom.
At Morrilton High School (MHS) scholars also achieved at good rates on the 2014 EOC Assessments in
Math and Literacy. MHS’s AMO Targets for 2014 were 71.88% in Literacy, 83.88% in Math, and in 82.05%
Graduation. A breakdown of the results is as follows:
1. 39 students or 17.1% scored Advanced in Math
2. 123 students or 54.1% scored Proficient in Math
3. 37 students or 21.14% scored Advanced in Literacy
4. 91 students or 52% scored Proficient in Literacy
In high schools, another variable is added to the formula for calculating the school letter grade - Graduation
Rate. Morrilton High School achieved a graduation rate in 2013 of 91.72%. This score is added to the overall
points for a high school.
To summarize, 71.37% of the students at MHS scored Advanced or Proficient in Math. In Literacy, 73.14%
of the students at MHS scored Advanced or Proficient in Literacy. Looking at these statistics along with the
descriptors above. MHS received a letter grade of a “B”. MHS Staff and Administration are not satisfied with
the current student achievement metrics. They have committed themselves to raising learning expectations in
the classroom. The MHS Team has also devoted this school year in designing instructional lesson base on the
“Understanding By Design” research to improve instruction in the classroom.
In summary, based on a number of factors, the school letter grades do not tell the entire story of a school’s performance. Common Core Curriculum does NOT align with the Benchmark and EOC assessment given in 2014,
and AMO’s could more easily be obtained by scoring lower in the baseline year of 2011. Thus, the letter grades
do not reflect the real quality of a school.
If you have questions regarding the school grading scale,
please call 501.354.9400 or
email shawn.halbrook@sccsd.k12.ar.us
Puppies to
Dog
s
Ba
n
et
qu
On April 30, 2015, First Baptist Church
of Morrilton hosted the “Puppies to
Dogs” banquet. This was a celebration
for MHS seniors and MPS kindergarteners. MHS seniors served as mentors
and worked with their buddies on several community projects. “Puppies to
Dogs” is sponsored by Ms. Janis Horn
and Mr. Cody Vest. Thank you to First
Baptist Church for hosting this event.
MHS Choir Receives Honors
The Morrilton Melodies received excellent and superior ratings at Region and State Festivals. All Morrilton Choirs have tripled in size during the 2014-2015
school year and SCCSD added two additional choirs,
Junior High Male Chorus and Senior High Bel Canto.
The Melodies are featured below when they attended
State Festival at UCA.
Band Scholarships
UCA
ATU
ASU
Six of the graduating band members from MHS
will be receiving scholarships to play in college
bands. (L-R) Torey Jones, Hannah Wilson,
Justin Mendoza, Adam Pruitt (all UCA), Brittany Cook (ATU), and Noah Nichols (ASU) will
continue to represent our community this fall
at various college campuses. Hannah, Justin,
Brittany, and Noah are majoring in music. The
class of 2015 includes twenty students that are in
band. Thirty percent of senior band members are
choosing to continue their music education.
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
The Spring Musical this year was Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. It involved nearly
4 months of rehearsals and over 60 cast, crew, and orchestra. It marked Director Brad Parks’ first musical
at his native Morrilton High School and had 8 showings. It met with huge community and outside success,
reaching a total attendance of 1,161 people.
Starring students included junior Zach Jolly and senior Dustin Denham as Willy Wonka, Junior Kyle
Chassells as Charlie Bucket,
and Senior Brett Harken as
Grandpa Joe. The crew for the
show was led by Senior Stage
Manager Jordan Yates and Senior Technical Director Thomas Ragland. A huge thank
you to all those who gave
resources and time to Troupe
3131 that allowed such a successful and enjoyable show.
We are proud of these talented
students and their hard work.
STEM Opportunities for Learning
Morrilton Junior High School plans to offer
two of Project Lead The Way’s foundation units,
Design & Modeling and Automation & Robotics, during the 2015-2016 school year. Optional
specialization units of study will be considered
for 2016-2017. The Gateway program will
introduce junior high students to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields of study. Gateway will also provide
foundational understanding, allowing students to
go on to study Pre-Engineering at MHS or participate in Biomedical Sciences at River Valley
Career Academy. To learn more, visit: pltw.org
New Pathways for Learning
During 2015-2016, MHS will provide even more
opportunities for learning through additional course
selections. Next year, students in grades 9-12 will be
able to choose from numerous additional high school
courses through Virtual Arkansas digital learning
online. In addition, students meeting ACT requirements will be able to pursue concurrent credit online
through Arkansas Tech University, while sitting in
class at MHS. Furthermore, MHS students meeting ACT or COMPASS requirements may elect to
receive concurrent credit through the University of
Arkansas Community College at Morrilton by attending classes on the UACCM campus. These
new pathways for learning will open countless more
opportunities for our scholars. Digital learning high
school courses include subjects such as French, German, Psychology, Photography, Web Page Design,
Criminal Law, and Forensic Science, just to name a
few. In addition to new high school courses, there
are numerous opportunities for concurrent credits
through ATU and UACCM. For more information
about enrollment and applicable fees, please contact
the building counselor at MHS.
TYLER ATKINSON
DWAYNE FOSTER
DAKOTA MCNABB
JAMES SWAFFAR
VICTORIA BARROW
KYNDELL FRANKLIN
CASSI MEELER
TARA SWAFFAR
SHELBY BEEN
HOLLIE FREEMAN
JUSTIN MENDOZA
MARCEL SWINTON
SHAKIR BIZZELL
HANNAH FRENCH
TERRENCE MINOR
MARQUIS SWINTON
ANDRE BLACK
TYLER GABBARD
LAUREN MITCHELL
ROBERT TAYLOR
MELISSA BLAKE
SANORRIS GARRETT
JONATHAN MOORE
JUSTIN TEDFORD
JONATHAN BLAYLOCK
JOSHUA GAYLER
MORGAN MULLINS
ASHLEY THOMPSON
TERRY BOND
EVAN GRIGGS
CIERA NEWSOME
KEAYRRA THUSTON
MARCUS BOWLES
ASHLEY HALL
NOAH NICHOLS
TREVOR TIDWELL
RYAN BRADFORD
D’MAREE HAMMOND
JOSE ORTIZ-MACIAS
KIANDRA TONEY
JOSHUA BROWN
ALEX HARKEN
DAKOTA OSBORNE
DONNIESHA TREZVANT
KENDALL BROWN
PRINCESS HENDERSON
KATLYN PARKS
DAIELEION TURNER
KAYLA CAMPBELL
BAILEY HENRY
TRENT PATRICK
TERRIN USHERY
SEBESTIAN CASTEAL
ANDREA HERRERA
NAKAILA PEREZ
ANGELINA VALENTINE
ESTEFANIA CERVANTES
BRET HOELZEMAN
BRYSON PHILLIPS
KAILEIGH VANDERVEER
JAMES CHAMBERS
HALEY HOLLAND
CHANDLER PINAL
CALIHAN WEST
CODY CHANCE
MADISON HOYER
EMILY PLUMMER
LONDYN WIEDOWER
ALEXIS CHAVEZ
ASHLEY HUNDLEY
JOSE-ALEX PONCE
AYANA WILLIAMS
ELIZABETH CHEEK
DRE JACKSON
ANDREW POTTER
BRITTANY WILLIAMS
TROY CLONINGER
VICTORIA JACKSON
DEJA PRICE-HUFFMAN
CHERIE WILLIAMS
CHRISTOPHER COGBURN
AMY JENKINS
ADAM PRUITT
CYNTHIA WILLIAMS
TYRAH COLBERT
ALEXIS JOHNSON
WILLIAM QUALLS
KALEY WILLIAMS
SHELBI COLLINS
BRANDON JOHNSON
THOMAS RAGLAND
KOY WILLIAMS
BRITTANY COOK
ALYSSA JONES
JONATHAN RANKIN
TARIK WILLIAMS
ALEXIS CRISWELL
BRITTANY JONES
MARGHERITA RAVAIOLI
HANNAH WILSON
ALEXUS CRISWELL
LYNDSEY JONES
MUHAMMAD RAZAK
ABIGAIL WINDHAM
JAYLA CRISWELL
TOREY JONES
JALESHA RICE
EMILY WISDOM
JESSICA CRISWELL
JOSEPH KELLY
RESHONNE RICE
KIRSTEN WOOD
CLAYTON CROWELL
RYAN KORDSMEIER
OLIVIA RICKETT
DANIELLE WRIGHT
LUIS DAVID
KEAIR LEE
RAYDEN RIDDLE
KAYLA WRIGHT
CHAD DAVIDSON
SETH LEHMANN
JORGE RIVERO
SHAMIA WRIGHT
BRANDIE DAVIS
HUNTER LENTZ
KAYLA ROBERTS
BAXTER YARBROUGH
DUSTIN DENHAM
JESSIE LENTZ
CARLA ROBERTSON
EASTON YARBROUGH
SHYANNE DENNIS
JESSICA LUJANO
MICHEALA ROBERTSON
JORDAN YATES
DANIELLE DIAZ
DIAMOND MAHOMES
SHAYLEE SABLAN
ALXANDR YORK
REBECCA EDWARDS
JESSIE MASON
EDUARDO SANDOVAL
HANNAH ESTES
KRISSY MCDANIEL
AUSTIN SCHREPFER
BRITTANY EVANS
LOGAN MCDANIEL
RENEE SHEPHERD
PHILLECIA EVERETTE
BRETT MCELROY
HALEY SHUMATE
MASHELA FLAKES
HANNAH MCGEHEE
JAMES SMILEY
MADISON FLETCHER
SKYE MCGINTY
JALYN SMITH
MONTANA FLOWERS
ASHLEY MCINTARE
BRAILEE STARR
STEPHANIE FLYNN
CYRUS MCKASKLE
ANNASTASIA STEINMETZ
BRYAN FOSHEE
WHITNEY MCKIM
JORDIN STINNETT
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