The top reported proficiency rate is 23% in English language arts. The lowest is 15% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Mcdermott Elementary School
McDermott Elementary School is a public elementary school in Little Rock, Arkansas, serving kindergarten through fifth grade as part of the Little Rock School District. The school occupies a modest neighborhood setting near Reservoir Road in the central part of the city, within a district that covers the state capital’s diverse residential and commercial landscape.
The student body reflects the broader demographics of its attendance zone. A large majority of students are Black, with a smaller share of white students and a modest Hispanic population, along with small numbers of Asian and multiracial students. Economic need is widespread: a very high share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, placing the school in a high-poverty category. Information on the number of students with disabilities or English learners was not available in the data.
Academically, McDermott Elementary’s state assessment results from the most recent testing year show low proficiency rates across all tested subjects and grades. In math, the share of students scoring proficient or above ranged from under one in ten in third grade to about one in five in fourth grade, with fifth grade near that same level. English language arts results were similar, with roughly one in five students proficient in third and fourth grades, rising slightly to under three in ten in fifth grade. Science proficiency was also low, hovering around one in five or fewer across the three tested grades. When compared to other elementary schools within Pulaski County districts, McDermott’s overall proficiency index falls below the midpoint. That comparison set includes a wide range of performance, and the school’s position is toward the lower end. A parent may want to discuss with the school what supports are in place for students who are not meeting grade-level benchmarks.
The school offers no programs listed in the available data, so there is no available information on extracurricular offerings, before- or after-school activities, or specialized academic tracks. Because McDermott serves only elementary grades, there is no high school graduation rate to report. Chronic absenteeism and discipline data were also not provided.
Little Rock itself functions as Arkansas’s capital and largest city, with a mixed economy anchored by government, healthcare, banking, and transportation. Major employers include the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Arkansas Children’s Hospital, Dillard’s, and several financial firms. The city has a downtown riverfront district with restaurants and cultural venues, and the Arkansas River Trail offers recreational access. Housing in the area around the school carries home values that are above the state average, though the national context shows modest appreciation. Rents are moderate. The district’s most recent publicly available information did not indicate any major recent changes such as boundary shifts, bond referendums, or curriculum overhauls that would affect families directly.
For a family considering McDermott Elementary, the primary takeaway is a high-need student population and low overall academic performance on state tests relative to other schools in the county. The school is part of a large urban district with many resources, but the data suggests that students here are not reaching state proficiency targets at rates that would be considered strong. Families concerned about academic foundations may want to investigate specifically what intervention and enrichment programs are offered, especially in the early grades where reading and math gaps are most consequential. The surrounding community offers a range of urban amenities, but the school itself appears to serve a concentrated-poverty population, and the peer environment will reflect that context.
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