Public Education Foundation of Little Rock

Our Initiatives relate to our goals of increasing student achievement, providing high quality professional development for teachers and administrators and increasing the parental and community support for the Little Rock School District.

Innovative Idea Grants, 2002-2008, 133 Grants awarded totaling $417,648
Project SOAR, 2004-2008, $1,000,000
Academic Signing Day, 2005-2008, Priceless
Innovation in Education, 2004-2007, $800,000
Ongoing Efforts

Innovative Idea Grants, 2002-2008, 133 Grants awarded totaling $417,648

On Thursday, April 3, 2008, the Public Education Foundation of Little Rock awarded over $45,482 in grants to fund fifteen different education projects. This represents a total of 133 student achievement projects and $417,648 given by the Foundation specifically for Innovative Grants over the last six years and is a significant component of the $2.0 million total spent by the Foundation for all its projects in the Little Rock School District which support improving student achievement. Grant amounts ranged from $900 - $5,000 and all projects target student achievement or parent and community involvement initiatives. Grants were given to teachers, principals, and specialists in 12 different schools. “These grants represent creative, instructionally-focused ideas that fit the PEF’s mission and vision, and we are proud to make these projects a reality,” says Jan Hundley, Board President and founding Board member of the PEF. Through the Innovative Idea Grant Program, the Foundation has been instrumental in establishing programs that target many wonderful creative student achievement projects.

All of the grants awarded this year were excellent ideas but a few that were especially creative: J. A. Fair has designed a chemistry class that will provide an opportunity for students to learn not only the basic chemistry curriculum but will also solve a mystery throughout the year that will incorporate relevant forensic techniques involving bloody stains, fingerprints, forgery, and drug analysis into laboratory lessons. Watson Elementary will implement Watch D.O.G.S., which stands for Dads of Great Students. This innovative program begun by the National Center of Fathering focused on prevention of violence by using the positive influence of father
figures as a daily presence at the school. Local Dads will be recruited to mentor students throughout the year. J.A. Fair and McClellan High Schools will each receive a grant that will prepare students for college and career readiness by completing ACT preparation classes, college applications, college visits, and compiling a portfolio of job application materials and community service hours.

Two teams of Public Education Foundation board members, donors, school board members, city board members, district personnel, and community volunteers traveled by school bus to the schools receiving grants. The teams SURPRISED the recipients in their classrooms with balloons and “checks.”

The Public Education Foundation’s Innovative Idea Grant program is made possible through strong public school support and the generosity of its donors. Linda K. Smith, Director of Communications states, “Our donors represent all walks of life-- individuals, families, corporations, and foundations—who recognize the impact public education makes on our community and economy. We should be very proud of our teachers that work so hard for our children every day. This is just one way we, as a Foundation, show our support and appreciation. “

Project SOAR, 2004-2008, $1,000,000

Project SOAR is a PEF and Little Rock School District Project that provides an instructional data tool for educators. The work of Project SOAR is to establish school, grade and student level reports that measure student performance in the areas of math and reading. Over time, this student data can be used to assist schools and teacher in evaluating past performances, highlighting successful practices, and identifying areas of student improvement.

Project SOAR, which builds and supports learning communities in schools that have a strong focus on data driven instruction in the classroom and targeted professional development for teachers. Project SOAR is currently being implemented in all 42 Little Rock School District elementary, middle, and high schools. Funding for Project SOAR was provided through a powerful partnership of state and regional foundations and corporations such as the Trinity Foundation, Riggs Benevolent Trust, Entergy, Acxiom, Walton Family Foundation, Bank of America, and the Lisenne and Win Rockefeller Family.

All LRSD Students in grades 2-9 will be test quarterly on the skills outlined by the LRSD curriculum maps. Project SOAR will house data from these students' tests and make the data available to teachers and administrators. These 'spot checks' of student understanding completed while a student's knowledge is being formed- will allow teachers to identify and address every individual student's needs. Quarterly Project SOAR testing will help prepare students for the annual Arkansas Benchmark exams and nationally normed reference tests.

Academic Signing Day, 2002-2008

It is not unusual to see media coverage when high school athletes sign letters of intent to participate in college-level sports, but students who achieve academic success typically do not attract public recognition. The Public Education Foundation, the Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce, and Twin City Bank joined forces to host Academic Signing Day to showcase the academic success of sixty-eight seniors from Little Rock's five public high schools. Many members of the Class of 2007 have received significant academic awards and substantial scholarships, and a number of them will attend some of the nation's most prestigious universities. Academic Signing Day will honor a select few of these high-achieving students in the Little Rock School District.
To qualify, all students honored on Academic Signing Day must have a high level of academic achievement throughout their high school years and must have also been offered or received a significant academic scholarship at a major college or university. "Many times we save our highest tribute for those talented students who have excelled in athletic competition, however this event continues a tradition of building a showcase for those student champions who have excelled in the classroom" stated Jan Hundley, Board President of the Public Education Foundation of Little Rock.

Innovation in Education, 2004-2007, $800,000

Established the Teacher Achievement Program that rewarded teachers and staff for students' academic improvement. This program grew to include five LRSD schools and led to state-wide teacher incentive legislation. Schools across the state can now compete for state funds to support such programs. The PEF supports forming a LRSD Teacher Achievement Study Commission made up of teachers, parents, administrators and community leaders to gain further input into the design of teacher incentive programs.
The Achievement Challenge Pilot Project began at Meadowcliff Elementary School in 2004-2005 funded by a grant from the Hussman Foundation through the Public Education Foundation of Little Rock. For the 2005-2006, the project was expanded to include Wakefield Elementary School and was funded by the Hussman Foundation. The Little Rock School District funded the cost of the incentives at Meadowcliff Elementary in the second year of the project there.

Three more elementary schools - Mabelvale, Romine and Geyer Springs - were added for the 2006-2007 school year. The Achievement Challenge project for these three schools was funded by the Public Education Foundation of Little Rock with grants from the Hussman Foundation, the Walton Foundation and the Brown Foundation. The Little Rock School District is funding the incentives for both Meadowcliff and Wakefield.

Principals, teachers and staff members of five Little Rock School District elementary schools shared in $242,507 earned through the district's Achievement Challenge Pilot Project, a program begun in the 2004-2005 school year in conjunction with the Public Education Foundation of Little Rock. The Achievement Challenge project directly provides incentive payments for principals, teachers and school employees for academic gains that exceeded a typical year of progress made by students on a standardized test.

Overall, four of the five schools reported above average achievement gains in a nationally normed test ranging from 8.5 percent to 0.1 percent. The fifth school saw gains in some individual classes but the school average score dropped by 4.1 percent. The five schools are Meadowcliff, Wakefield, Mabelvale, Romine and Geyer Springs.

Ongoing Efforts

Convener of efforts to increase parental and community support for the Little Rock School District: Sponsored the LRSD Teacher of the Year Awards, Superintendent Brown Bag Lunches, Community Education Forums, and participated at the state level on committees monitoring student assessment and growth models.