Following strong literacy growth in last year’s ATLAS testing, the Marion School District has earned a new designation from the Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary Education.
The district was notified last week that it has been removed from the state’s “coordinated support” list. This is a result of major gains in student performance on the ATLAS exams. ATLAS, which stands for Arkansas Teaching and Learning Assessment, is the annual exam taken by all students in Arkansas public schools.
“This is a direct result of the hard work our teachers have put in,” said Greg Hodges, Marion’s Director of K-12 Curriculum, Instruction, Professional Development & K-6 Elementary Education. “We have been stretching our teachers and pushing our kids. The teachers have responded and the results speak for themselves.”
Hodges also credited the district’s literacy curriculum, which is called “Wit & Wisdom.”
“It’s extremely rigorous, and it’s tough to teach,” Hodges said. “It has forced our teachers to really be intentional with internalizing their lessons. I would say those actions really influenced our students’ growth, and we think it will help us build sustained academic excellence with our students.”
The Marion School District is an innovative and growing district that ensures an equitable, engaging learning community where every student is empowered to achieve academic excellence and personal growth. With more than 150 years of experience serving families in Crittenden County, the district offers a high school, a junior high, a seventh grade academy, and three award-winning magnet schools. For enrollment information, including information on school choice, visit https://www.msd3.org/ or call 870-739-5100.