The top reported proficiency rate is 21% in English language arts. The lowest is 19% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Westwood Elementary School
Westwood Elementary School serves students from prekindergarten through fifth grade in Springdale, Arkansas, as part of the Springdale School District. The school sits within a city that has a strong industrial and manufacturing base, with major employers including poultry processing plants and companies like Tyson Foods, Cargill, and Pratt & Whitney. Springdale has experienced rapid growth in recent years, and its public school system is among the largest in the state. The school itself is located near the western side of the city, in an area where the built environment blends commercial corridors along major highways with residential neighborhoods.
The student body at Westwood is diverse. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which places the school in a higher-need category compared to many others in the area. The racial and ethnic composition includes many students who identify as Hispanic, followed by those who identify as White, Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, and smaller groups identifying as Asian, Black, American Indian or Alaska Native, and two or more races. Data on the share of students receiving special education services or classified as English learners was not available in the records reviewed.
State assessment results from the most recent testing year show that proficiency rates in math and English language arts across grades three, four, and five were lower than the midpoint among districts in Washington County. In math, the share of students scoring at the proficient level or above was modest in third grade and declined in fourth grade. In English language arts, the proportion scoring proficient or above was similarly modest across all three tested grades, with no grade reaching a rate that exceeded a quarter of students tested. In science, the pattern was similar, with a higher rate in third grade and lower rates in fourth and fifth grade. Taken together, the school’s overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile compared to other elementary schools across the county’s districts. Parents considering Westwood may want to ask the school about the specific instructional supports and interventions available in math, reading, and science and about how the school tracks academic growth from year to year.
Because Westwood serves only elementary grades, there is no graduation rate to report. The school’s program offerings beyond the core curriculum were not included in the data provided, and no information was available about discipline rates, chronic absenteeism, or staffing ratios. A search for recent district-level updates in Springdale School District found little of lasting impact to note.
Housing in the area around the school has seen price changes in line with broader national trends. Homes in the zip code have a typical value that is above the state benchmark, though the rent-to-income ratio suggests that renting is a moderate share of household income for many families. The local economy has been supported by a low unemployment rate, and the poultry and manufacturing industries continue to anchor employment in the region.
For a family evaluating Westwood Elementary, the picture is one of a school serving a high-need student population in a growing industrial city. The academic proficiency numbers are below many elementary schools in the county, and parents will likely want to understand how the school identifies students who need extra help and how it measures progress over time. The school is part of a large district, which may offer certain centralized resources, but the specific programs or initiatives at Westwood were not detailed in the available information. A visit to the school and a conversation with the principal about curriculum, support services, and the school’s approach to improving student outcomes would be a reasonable next step for any parent trying to get a fuller picture.
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