The Hope Academy of Public Service has become something of a regional education laboratory model, having broken new ground in grades 5-8 education in Arkansas.\r\n
\r\nTeams from three Texarkana-area schools have toured the campus and undertaken specific study of the model for possible application in their respective school districts. Most recently, educators from North Heights Junior High School and College Hill Middle School in Texarkana spent half a day on the HAPS campus.\r\n
\r\n“Mrs. Theresa Cowling and several of her staff members from North Heights Junior High School and Texarkana Arkansas School District visited HAPS to learn more about our campus’ application process, service learning and parental involvement/volunteering,” HAPS Principal Dr. Carol Ann Duke said.\r\n
\r\nThe Texarkana team was particularly interested in how HAPS has achieved the academic results its students have shown on standardized testing.\r\n
\r\nCurrently in its third year of operation, HAPS has already received one “A” rating for Arkansas schools under new accountability standards as one of 163 campuses among 1,040 public and charter schools in Arkansas to do so in the first year of the new standards.\r\n
\r\nThe rating reflects factors such as academic achievement and growth, graduation rates, school quality and student success as defined through stakeholder, educator and student feedback compiled by the Arkansas Department of Education.\r\n
\r\nHAPS was among the top 6-10 percent of schools demonstrating academic growth or student academic performance, based upon criteria set by the Arkansas Board of Education. The HAPS campus has also been recognized for meeting or exceeding federal ESSA accountability standards in School Quality and Student Success; Weighted Achievement; and, School Value.\r\n
\r\nHAPS has also been cited by the University of Arkansas Office for Educational Policy as a “Beating the Odds” campus in student growth for English Language Arts and Math.\r\n
\r\nThe Texarkana team also looked at HAPS as a whole, Dr. Duke said.\r\n
\r\n“They visited classrooms, Denny’s Place, and had a rich discussion with Dr. (Bobby) Hart, myself, Mrs. (Joan) Crowder and Mrs. (Marilyn) Marks about the creation of HAPS, our challenges, successes, and opportunities,” Duke said.\r\n
\r\nThe school opened in the remodeled Garland School building in the 2016-2017 academic year with 153 students in grades 5-8. A ninth-grade cohort has since been added, and its continued operation on the HAPS campus remains under study by the district. The campus now houses about 250 students in grades 5-9.\r\n
