Bearcat Wrap-up Podcast

Happy Thursday!Thank you for the work you continue to do across Mena Public Schools as we move deeper into the final stretch of the school year. This time of year always brings both urgency and fatigue, but it also reveals the strength of a district. The steady effort taking place across our classrooms, offices, buses, cafeterias, and campuses is what keeps us moving toward our performance targets and keeps our mission in front of students each day. I am grateful for the consistency, care, and professionalism you continue to show.As we move toward the close of the year, I want to use this Wrap-up to provide a brief overview of our district performance targets, highlight a few encouraging indicators, and remind us that the final weeks of a school year matter greatly. The work done now has a lasting effect on student growth, student confidence, and the way we finish together as a district.Staying Focused on What Matters MostThroughout the year, we have aligned our efforts around clear district performance targets related to academic growth, attendance, and a positive school environment. These are not separate initiatives. They work together. When students are present, engaged, and supported in an orderly learning environment, achievement becomes more likely. When instruction is intentional and aligned to standards, growth becomes less accidental and more predictable.You can review our full district performance targets and progress here:Mena Public Schools District Performance TargetsThere are several reasons for us to be encouraged at this point in the year. Our current district attendance rate is 94.0%, which is above our target of 93.5%. That is worth recognizing. Daily attendance is one of the clearest conditions for success, and remaining above target reflects the effort our staff has made to build schools where students are welcomed, expected, and supported.We also have encouraging signs in school climate and behavior. Through Week 30, our district has recorded fewer discipline referrals than we had at this same point last year, decreasing by 14.28 %. That improvement reflects the intentional work being done by teachers, principals, support staff, and all employees who help create consistent expectations for students. A better learning environment does not happen by accident. It is built day by day through routines, relationships, and clear standards.There are bright spots across our campuses as well. Mena Middle School and Mena High School are both currently above 94 percent attendance, which reflects the strength of their routines, relationships, attendance policies, and shared expectations. Those results are encouraging because they show that consistent systems and daily effort are making a difference for students.Just as important, we continue to see evidence of stronger instructional focus across the district. Our emphasis on writing across the curriculum, attention to standards, and close monitoring of student progress are all helping to strengthen learning. Better writing supports better thinking, and better thinking supports better reading, understanding, and problem-solving in every content area. That work extends far beyond a test and strengthens the future functioning of our students in school, work, and community life.This is the part of the year when small, consistent actions matter most. A well-timed check for understanding, a strong review, a clear expectation, an encouraging word, or a corrected misconception can make a real difference for a student. Let us take encouragement from the progress we have made while remaining committed to the work still ahead. Cooperative Feedback OpportunityIt is also time again for the annual DMESC User Satisfaction Survey for 2026. This survey is for everyone in our district who uses DeQueen-Mena Educational Service Cooperative services in any capacity.Your feedback is important because it helps the cooperative evaluate its support and improve the services, resources, and professional learning opportunities provided to the districts it serves. Please take a few moments to complete the survey and encourage others in our district who utilize co-op services to do the same. The survey will remain open through May 31.DMESC User Satisfaction Survey - 2026Looking AheadWhile our focus remains on finishing this school year well, I also want to share something positive to look forward to next year. We have booked Jason Curry as the keynote speaker for our back-to-school convocation.Jason Curry is known for delivering messages about purpose, mindset, and commitment that challenge people to raise their expectations and take ownership of their growth. His message aligns well with who we are and what we are trying to build as a district.One of his recurring ideas is that excellence is not something that appears all at once. It is built through repeated choices, steady effort, and a willingness to grow. That is a message worth remembering now as much as it will be worth

Happy Friday!As we reach Spring Break, I want to thank each of you for the work you have done throughout the school year so far. Education is demanding work that requires patience, persistence, and a constant focus on the needs of our students. The break ahead provides an opportunity to pause for a few days, spend time with family and friends, and recharge for the final portion of the year.One thing that is always remarkable about the school calendar is how quickly the final weeks pass once Spring Break is behind us. When we return, we will soon find ourselves preparing for the many culminating moments of the school year, like student performances, competitions, end-of-year activities, and ultimately graduation. These moments remind us why the work we do throughout the year is so important.Even during Spring Break, many of our student-athletes will continue representing Mena Public Schools in competition. We appreciate the dedication of these students, as well as the coaches and staff who will continue supporting them during the break. Their commitment reflects the same determination and perseverance we hope to cultivate in all of our students.I hope each of you enjoys a safe and restful Spring Break. The work we do matters greatly, and taking time to rest allows us to return ready to finish the year strong for the students and community we serve.It was a good week of preparation at Mena Public Schools.At Mena Public Schools, our students are prepared, our staff is supported, and our community is confident.Keep the #menareads posts and videos coming, and have a nice weekend! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bearcatwrap.substack.com

Happy Friday!Thank you to everyone across our district for the work you continue to do each day for our students. As we move deeper into the spring semester, the instructional focus of our classrooms becomes even more important. This is the time of year when the adjustments teachers make in instruction can have a significant impact on student learning as we move toward the spring ATLAS assessment. One of our goals as a district has always been to avoid simply hoping that learning is happening. Instead, we want to know where our students stand and respond with the best instruction possible.This week, I would like to share several observations from our Winter ATLAS Interim assessments in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science. Interim assessments serve an important purpose. They provide evidence of student learning at this point in the school year and help us determine where additional instructional attention can help students move from approaching proficiency to being proficient. They also allow us to compare our performance with the state average so that we have a clearer understanding of where we stand and what our next steps should be.Achievement Level Descriptors and Strong ThinkingOne of the most important themes that continues to emerge from the interim results is the importance of helping students understand what strong thinking looks like. We have been talking about assessing student performance using Achievement Level Descriptors, or ALDs. These descriptors outline the level of thinking students must demonstrate to reach proficiency. A Level 3 response, which represents proficient performance, generally requires students to explain their reasoning, apply knowledge to unfamiliar situations, support ideas with evidence, and analyze information rather than simply recall it.During several of our leadership meetings this year, we have watched classroom videos that highlight instructional strategies designed to move students toward this level of thinking. One encouraging practice we have observed is that some of our teachers are explaining the Achievement Level Descriptors directly to their students so they understand the level of response that is expected. When students clearly understand what a strong response looks like, they are far more capable of producing it. They begin to see that success is not simply about arriving at the correct answer, but about demonstrating the reasoning and understanding behind that answer.This matters for every classroom, not only those in the core academic areas. Whether students are asked to explain a solution in mathematics, support an interpretation in English Language Arts, analyze evidence in science, justify a design choice in a CTE course, or explain a performance decision in the arts, the same principle applies. Students grow when they understand the quality of thinking that is being asked of them.English Language ArtsThe winter interim results in English Language Arts show encouraging progress in several areas of literacy development. In the early grades, our students performed ahead of the state in important foundational measures. Kindergarten posted 44% proficient compared to 32% statewide, while Grade 1 reached 56% proficient compared to 34% statewide, and Grade 2 posted 39% proficient compared to 33% statewide. Grade 3 also remained ahead of the state at 35% proficient compared to 31% statewide. These results suggest that the instructional emphasis placed on foundational literacy skills is continuing to produce positive results for our students.At the same time, the reports show that students face greater difficulty when standards require them to analyze texts and clearly explain their thinking in writing. Students are generally stronger when asked to demonstrate vocabulary knowledge and direct comprehension, but they experience more difficulty when asked to analyze how authors develop ideas and themes, compare information across texts, support interpretations with textual evidence, and explain their thinking clearly in written form. This pattern becomes especially important in the upper grades, where many students are clustered near proficiency rather than well below it. That tells us the work ahead is not to start over, but to sharpen and strengthen what we are already doing.This is one of the reasons our district has placed such a strong emphasis on writing across the curriculum. Writing requires students to organize their thoughts, explain their reasoning, and support their ideas with evidence. When students learn to explain their thinking clearly in writing, they also become stronger readers because they must interact more deeply with the text. Our interim results reinforce that point. If we want more students to move from approaching proficiency to being proficient in literacy, we must continue giving them opportunities to write, explain, support, and refine their thinking in every possible setting.MathematicsThe winter interim mathematics resu

Happy Friday!Thank you to everyone across Mena Public Schools for the hard work and dedication that continues to shape our district each day. As we move deeper into the spring semester, classrooms remain active with learning, extracurricular programs are in full swing, and students are preparing for the important milestones that come with the end of the school year. From literacy activities and academic competitions to career readiness events and community service projects, our staff and students continue to demonstrate the determination and perseverance that define our district.At this point in the year, with only 46 school days left, it is helpful to pause and consider the importance of finishing well.The early months of the school year are often filled with excitement, planning, and fresh momentum. By the time spring arrives, however, the work of teaching and learning has become more demanding. Students begin looking toward summer, teachers are balancing instruction with assessments and activities, and the pace of the year can begin to feel long. Yet the final portion of the school year is often where the most meaningful growth occurs.In many ways, the strength of a school system is revealed not in how it begins a year, but in how it finishes one.Great schools maintain focus, consistency, and purpose all the way to the final day. When classrooms remain structured, expectations stay clear, and instruction continues to challenge students, the cumulative effect of the entire year begins to show. Reading skills strengthen, writing becomes more precise, and students demonstrate the confidence that comes from sustained effort.This is also the time of year when we begin to see the results of the many initiatives we have worked toward together. Our focus on writing across the curriculum, our continued emphasis on reading and literacy, and our commitment to preparing students for real opportunities beyond high school are all examples of long-term work that produce results over time. These efforts require patience, consistency, and what we often describe as shared confidence in our collective ability to help students succeed.As we approach the final stretch of the school year, let us continue to support one another and maintain the level of focus that our students deserve. Every lesson, every conversation with a student, and every moment of encouragement contribute to the larger purpose of preparing our students for the future. The work we do each day continues to move our district closer to the vision we have set together.Service Leadership Opportunities for StudentsThis week, we received information from the Governor’s Advisory Commission on National Service and Volunteerism about several grant opportunities connected to the upcoming 2026 9/11 Day of Service. These programs are designed to help schools, students, and community organizations organize service projects that honor the spirit of unity and service that emerged across our country after the events of September 11, 2001.Several opportunities are available for schools and students. K–12 School Grants provide funding for service-learning projects that engage students, educators, and families in volunteer activities. Youth Service Grants support youth-led service initiatives organized by community or nonprofit organizations. In addition, Campus Grants are available for higher education institutions to organize volunteer projects connected to the Day of Remembrance.There is also an exciting Student Service Captains leadership opportunity for rising high school seniors. Students selected for this national program will design and lead a 9/11 Day service project in their school or community, and twenty students nationwide will receive $5,000 scholarships in recognition of their leadership. Based on the student-led service activities we have already seen take place across our district this year, I know we have students who are fully capable of earning this recognition. Our students continue to demonstrate initiative, compassion, and a willingness to serve others, and this program provides another opportunity for them to lead in a meaningful way.Applications for the grant programs are due April 1, and registrations for the Student Service Captain opportunity are due June 15. More information about these opportunities can be found at:https://911day.org/grants/https://911day.org/k12programs/Service to others is one of the values that defines our district, and opportunities such as these allow our students to practice leadership while strengthening the communities they serve.Closing CelebrationsOur seniors had an outstanding opportunity this week as they participated in the Career Connect Reverse Career Fair at UA Rich Mountain alongside students from neighboring districts. Instead of the traditional career fair format, our students hosted booths where they presented their career goals, postsecondary plans, résumés, and portfolios while employers and community leade

Happy Thursday!Thank you for another week of focused work on behalf of our students. Across classrooms, offices, buses, practice fields, cafeterias, and performance spaces, our staff continues to demonstrate professionalism, perseverance, and care. Each week we move closer to our performance targets, but more importantly, we continue the steady work of preparing students with the skills and habits that will serve them long after graduation.As we release this Wrap-Up one day early due to Friday’s closure, I want to center this message on the primary instructional topics that will guide our professional development meetings this coming Monday. Earlier today, administrators shared several instructional resources in preparation for those conversations. Monday is not about adding something new. It is about sharpening our focus using evidence from our ATLAS interim data and classroom observation trends. The goal is clarity and alignment, not overload.After reviewing assessment results and walkthrough data, five instructional priorities have emerged. These apply across science, social studies, mathematics, Career and Technical Education, fine arts, and every classroom where students are required to read, think, and communicate.Fluency: The Foundation for ComprehensionOur interim data continues to show that fluency is a leverage point across grade levels. When students read with accuracy, automaticity, and appropriate expression, they free cognitive space for analysis and reasoning. Fluency supports comprehension not only in English, but in science texts, historical documents, technical passages, and multi-step math problems.It is important to say clearly that strengthening fluency does not mean individually assessing every student every day. That would be unsustainable. Effective fluency instruction is short, structured, and embedded into existing lessons. Five to ten minutes of choral reading, echo reading, partner reading with feedback, or repeated reading of complex excerpts can build automaticity without overwhelming the teacher. When fluency becomes a routine rather than a separate task, it strengthens comprehension across disciplines.Shifting the Cognitive LoadOur data does not show collapse. It shows a large, movable middle band of students at level 2. The shift from Level 2 to Level 3 requires explanation, development, analysis, and sustained reasoning by our students.This does not mean abandoning the “I do, we do, you do” gradual release model. That framework remains sound. Modeling and guided practice are essential. However, our walkthrough data suggests that in some cases we may remain in the “I do” or “we do” phase longer than necessary. When that happens, students have fewer opportunities to carry the full weight of the thinking independently.Across content areas, we must ensure that lessons consistently move to meaningful “you do” opportunities where students read independently, attempt problems before full explanation, analyze primary sources, interpret data, and write their reasoning without immediate rescue. In mathematics, that may mean allowing students to attempt a multi-step problem before modeling the solution. In science, analyzing data before discussing conclusions. In social studies, interpreting a document before hearing the summary.Shifting the cognitive load, then, is not reversing our instructional model. It is completing it. It is ensuring that scaffolding leads to independence rather than dependence. When we gradually release responsibility and allow students to wrestle productively with tasks, reasoning deepens and confidence grows. That is what moves students from identification to analysis and from Level 2 to Level 3 performance.Intentional Independent ReadingIndependent reading must be instructional time, not free time. Students should know the purpose for reading and what they are expected to produce, whether that is analyzing structure, tracking claims and evidence, or identifying cause and effect.This does not require grading every annotation or response. Short written reflections, structured partner discussions, rotating conferences, and quick comprehension checks can provide accountability without creating a grading burden. Teachers are not expected to read every page. They are expected to build systems that make thinking visible.This structure applies in science, social studies, CTE, and technical coursework as much as in English. Independent processing builds stamina and prepares students for the demands of complex assessment tasks.Using Achievement Level Descriptors (ALDs)Standards tell us what students learn. Achievement Level Descriptors tell us how deeply they must think. If a standard requires analysis, comparison, justification, or evaluation, our tasks must require those actions.Level 3 and Level 4 instruction includes:* Grade-level complex text.* Evidence-based responses.* Writing that explains rather than summarizes.* Students defending and refining reasoning.Post