Northwest Arkansas Schools Fare Well in Latest State Rankings Under ESSA Index Score
October 20, 2019
According to Arkansas’ annual release of school letter grades—which are “based on each school’s federal ESSA Index Score, a numerical score of 1 to 100” calculated using a variety of factors—public schools in Northwest Arkansas “received relatively high marks this year.” Whereas the letter grade reflects state accountability, the ESSA Index Score upon which they are based reflect federal accountability. Most Northwest Arkansas public schools scored As or Bs this year. Overall, 169 schools statewide received an A—up from 152 last year. Even schools that did not perform as well as others showed signs of improvement as ESSA scores still rose compared to last year.