Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

PES Honored

Prescott Elementary School was honored at the State Department of Education on Monday, September 13, in Little Rock.

This honor came because of increased test scores on the grade four Benchmark examination.

Prescott Elementary was selected from Southwest Arkansas to appear at the Department for recognition of the hard work and effort that went forth in showing a significant rise in Benchmark test scores.

The fourth grade Benchmark test is a criterion referenced test implemented as part of the Arkansas Comprehensive Testing and Assessment Program (ACTAP) being developed in response to Arkansas Legislative Act 1172, which requires the State Board of Education to develop comprehensive testing that includes performance assessment of the core concepts, abilities, thinking and problem-solving skills defined by the Arkansas curriculum frameworks.

As part of this program, all grade four students in Arkansas public schools participated in the ACTAP grade four Benchmark examination in February of 1999.

Ray Simon, director of the Arkansas Department of Education and Luke Gordy, chairman of the State Board of Education, thanked each school honored for their extensive work and dedication that went into better preparing their students for the Benchmark exam, according to Howard Austin, principal at PES.

Those representing Prescott Elementary in Little Rock were Austin, Ron Wright, superintendent, Janet Gordon, assistant principal; Beverly Stockton, Reba House, Suzanne Marbury, Brenda Prewitt and Eric Barbaree.