SPRINGDALE — Forty-nine observers sent by the state finished their weeklong scholastic audit of five Springdale schools.
“It’s like having a financial audit,” said Sterling Ingram, team leader for the auditors examining Springdale High School. “We try to get as clear a picture as we can of the district.”
The Arkansas Department of Education hires independent contractors — usually educators and former administrators — to audit schools that fail to meet state standards in standardized tests for several consecutive years.
Teams of evaluators last week examined Elmdale Elementary, Central Junior High, George Junior High, Southwest Junior High and Springdale High.
Auditors observe classroom instruction and examine teachers’ lesson plans. They interview all staff members and dozens of parents at each school, Ingram said.
Auditors report to the Education Department what changes schools can make to increase the test scores. The state releases the final reports about two months after the audit.
Ingram said they focus on specific standards, such as effective planning and instruction, to find ways schools can improve.
The auditing teams of eight to 10 members per school checked into Springdale’s DoubleTree Club by Hilton on Sunday, and spent the evening previewing profile documents of the school district. Members collaborate and write a portion of the final report each night, Ingram said.
“You’re immersed completely,” he said.
Southwest Principal Brice Wagner said his staff prepared for the visit by examining the state’s rubric for auditors and making sure they could show evidence they follow each item. For example, teachers and administrators told parents they could view their children’s grades online to show evidence of parental involvement.
“Our focus hasn’t changed. We do most everything on that rubric on a day-to-day basis anyway,” Wagner said.
Southwest met state standards in 2011 after failing them for four consecutive years. Schools must meet standards two years in a row to be taken off the Education Department’s school improvement list. The list includes schools that fail standards at least two years in a row. Springdale High also met standards last year while on the improvement list.
Wagner said Southwest staff overcame initial nervousness about the visit to focus on how the school can continue to improve.
“We felt really good about it. When you’ve got a good thing going on, you like to show it off,” he said. “There was some tension there originally.”
George Elementary was the only district school to receive a scholastic audit last year. The school failed to meet state standards for two consecutive years, then met the standards following the audit.
Principal Annette Freeman said it is important for teachers and administrators to set their egos aside for the benefit of the school.
George staff members used the report to improve teacher planning and instruction. The summary showed the school excelled in communicating with families but scored low on employee evaluation and professional development.
“You’ve got to take it with a positive attitude. You get better when you get feedback,” Freeman said. “It’s a really detailed process.”
The federal No Child Left Behind uses Benchmark tests for grades three through eight and end-of-course exams for high school students to determine whether schools meet academic standards.
Nine Springdale schools are on the state’s improvement list. The Education Department will place eight more district schools on the list if they do not meet state standards this school year. Seven schools met standards the past two years.
Auditors observed Owl Creek School and Holt Middle School in Fayetteville in November. The Education Department also evaluated Elmwood Middle School and Birch Kirksey Middle School in Rogers in October. No Bentonville schools were audited.
By The Numbers
Northwest Arkansas Audits
The Arkansas Department of Education audited nine schools in Northwest Arkansas’ four cities this school year.
School District Schools Audited Total Schools
Bentonville 0 15
Fayetteville 2 14
Rogers 2 20
Springdale 5 25
Arkansas 51 239
Source: Arkansas Department Of Education