East End Middle School and Sheridan Middle School have been recognized by the Office for Education Policy (OEP) at the University of Arkansas for demonstrating exceptional academic growth on the state’s ATLAS assessment.
Each year, the OEP honors schools across Arkansas that show high student growth, which is an important measure of how much students are improving academically year over year. The OEP considers student growth one of the best indicators of a school’s impact on learning.
In its 2025 Outstanding Educational Performance Awards report, the OEP recognized the following achievements:
Sheridan Middle School
High Math Growth (Central Region)
East End Middle School
High Overall Growth (Statewide)
High English Language Arts (ELA) Growth (Statewide)
High Overall Growth (Central Region)
High ELA Growth (Central Region)
“These awards highlight the outstanding performance of our teachers, students and administrators at both campuses,” said Sheridan Superintendent Chad Pitts. “Student growth reflects the effort and commitment of teachers collaborating to ensure students are learning at high levels. I’m especially proud to see both schools recognized for ensuring that all students continue to make strong academic progress.”
The OEP bases its awards on school-level growth scores, which measure how much students improved compared to other students across the state with similar prior achievement. Awards are given for overall growth as well as growth in specific subject areas such as math and English language arts.