8 minute read
QUALITATIVE IMPACT
STUDENT PROGRAMS, SERVICES, & EVENTS
ASMSA has built a robust system of student engagement activities. A few examples are listed here:
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Program Description
Residential Experience
ASMSA’s residential experience offers high school enrollment for approximately 250 10th, 11th, and 12th-grade students. Housing, standard tuition, meals, and books are provided at no additional cost. Families pay a maximum of $850 per year for concurrent enrollment tuition and program assessments (yearbook, laundry, parents association, etc.)
STEM Pathways
Over 3,300 students and educators in Arkansas benefit from this hybrid educator development and digital learning initiative. STEM Pathways is aimed at building capacity of teachers across Arkansas while ensuring students receive access to AP coursework they otherwise might not receive at their public schools.
Student Success Framework
ASMSA’s proprietary Student Success Framework has specialized the roles of its guidance counselor support team to ensure ASMSA students have access to resources that maximize experiences and position them for success The Office of Student Success and Scholar Development includes seven total professionals for a student body of approximately 250 students (~1:36 ratio).
Student Success Coordinators
SSCs provide traditional academic advising, promote study skills, assist students in their academic pursuits, and provide intervention when necessary. SSCs don’t work in classrooms like individual faculty members, rather they work with individuals across classes and the residential experience when students face challenges. The SSC position also develops personalized learning plans and academic profiles for their students.
HELIX Prep Academy
HELIX (Helping Elevate Low-Income Students to Excellence) is a pilot program for early enrolling sophomores from challenging economic situations. The sophomore year experience focuses on various classroom and residential experiences that better prepare students for the traditional “early college” experience at ASMSA in their junior and senior year.1
Capstone Program
Since ASMSA’s founding in 1993, research has been a central component of the school’s curriculum. In order to graduate, every ASMSA student must complete a formal capstone project in one of the following fields:
Mathematical Modeling, Physical Sciences Seminar, Integrated Computer Science (1 and 2), Life Sciences, Engineering Design, Fine Art/Design, Humanities, Music Theory, and Creative Writing. 2
Global Learning Program
This educational travel program supports more than 60 students and faculty each year and includes traditional experiences in Europe that explore art and culture, research excursions in Central America, and exchange programs with Japanese public schools 3
Research in the Park RIP is a service-learning course offered to ASMSA students through a partnership with the Hot Springs National Park. Students serve as both park volunteers, as well as independent researchers gathering data to address research questions pertaining to the natural, historical, or cultural resources of the park. 4
Athletics
Intramural versions of soccer, football, and ultimate Frisbee are played on campus at ASMSA. In addition, through a special partnership with Hot Springs High School, ASMSA students are allowed to play on HSHS soccer, softball, football, golf, track, and basketball teams. This affords students the ability to attend the school without giving up their athletic pursuits 5
The following is a summary of student enrollment trends at ASMSA:
* Initial enrollment was impacted by space available from campus COVID-19 protocols, a larger previous class, as well as balancing class sizes for future enrollment growth beginning in the 2022-23 academic year.
Volunteerism
Prior to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, ASMSA partnered with local non-profits and other organizations in the Hot Springs community to perform service learning experiences, a required volunteer program for all ASMSA seniors. There are plans to continue this program going forward. In the program’s absence, however, the school has not slowed their student volunteerism. Many registered student groups on campus perform voluntary service in the community.
“The school not only changed my life but changed my family’s life.”
In addition to the registered student organizations volunteering on their own accord, ASMSA hosts an annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service. Students walk in the Hot Springs MLK Day Parade, volunteer at various organizations and locations, and clean up park sites in and around the City of Hot Springs.
The actual value of this volunteer work can be measured in a variety of ways, and one of the ways Boyette quantifies this figure is by utilizing IndependentSector.org, an organization devoted to determining the dollar value of a single volunteer hour by state.
For 2021 (the latest year available), Arkansas’ dollar value of a single volunteer hour is $23.79.6 The Arkansas School for Math, Sciences, and the Arts averages about 7,680 volunteer hours a year. This quantifies to an average of $182,707 worth of volunteer work in a single year by ASMSA.
DONORS & PARTNERSHIPS
ASMSA relies on private giving and grants to extend the effects of public funding for programs, services, and facilities. In the last five years, ASMSA has received public and grant funding totaling $2.6 million. Gifts are made to and managed by the University of Arkansas Foundation, Inc.
The following list of giving trends and grants highlights the key role that private philanthropy and support offer in advancing ASMSA’s mission and promoting innovation with the school.
Increases in giving reflect a more institutional approach to external support, which also includes endowed accounts totaling more than half a million dollars.
ASMSA Giving Trends
Fiscal Year 2023
Windgate Foundation $25,000
Blue & You Foundation $1,200
Arvest Bank $10,000
Other – COVID Related $1,000
Total Grants $45,200
Though not public-private partnerships, the partnerships listed below are important to ASMSA’s offerings in advancing high-quality educational curricula to Arkansas’ brightest students:
§ UA System: ASMSA joined the University of Arkansas System in 2004. It is the only high school in the UA System 7 The University of Arkansas at Fort Smith serves as ASMSA’s concurrent credit partner. ASMSA offers more than 70 college credit courses through this collaboration, potentially saving families upwards of $14,000 in tuition. All ASMSA students earn a minimum of 30 hours of college credit. Recent graduates have averaged 50 hours (more than three semesters).
§ Arkansas Department of Education: ADE awards ASMSA an annual $500,000 distance learning grant for the STEM Pathways program. The STEM Pathways program serves more than 3,000 students and educators statewide per year.
§ Hot Springs-Hanamaki Sister City Program: ASMSA’s Japanese language learning opportunities are a direct result of the Sister City partnerships with the City of Hanamaki Japan. ASMSA is the only high school in the state to offer local Japanese language instruction.8
§ National Consortium of Secondary STEM Schools: Established in 1988, the National Consortium of Secondary STEM Schools (NCSSS) represents many of the top-ranked programs in the U.S. and around the globe committed to transforming science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education through schoolwide initiatives that include authentic research or project-based learning.9 The NCSSS now includes approximately 100 member high schools and 55 affiliate and associate members located in 32 states and four countries. ASMSA is actively involved in NCSSS programming, campus leadership continues to engage in NCSSS governance, and the school has hosted various NCSSS workshops over the years.
§ Arts Schools Network: Founded in 1981, ASN is a non-profit aiming to inspire student leaders in K-16 arts schools by providing quality resources, support, and networking opportunities to elevate their respective institutions. Members of ASN collectively creative future artists by convening with peers and representatives from relevant industries. ASMSA’s engagement with ASN is relatively recent addition, serving as a complementary national connection to NCSSS.
-ASMSA Faculty
-ASMSA Alumni
§ Workshops: ASMSA also hosts a large variety of events and workshops. The High School Hack is a “capture the flag” style competition that introduces students to computer networking and cybersecurity in an accessible way. In addition, ASMSA has partnered with the Women’s Foundation of Arkansas to host a Computer Science Equity Summit. ASMSA has offered ACT training workshops for educators, Praxis examination practice sessions, lab skills training for teachers, and gatherings on a variety of subjects.
§ Athletics: Thanks to a partnership with Hot Springs High School, students at ASMSA don’t have to sacrifice playing their favorite sports when they enroll at ASMSA. HSHS allows students to play on their soccer, softball, football, golf, track, swimming, bowling, tennis, and basketball teams
Outreach
Educator Development Programs: ASMSA offers a hybrid digital learning and professional development program that builds the capacity of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) teachers across the state. This year alone, the STEM Pathways initiative is serving more than 3,300 students and teachers. Support programs are currently offered in Advanced Placement (AP) Biology, AP Statistics, and AP Computer Science, as well as other high school level computer science courses. ASMSA’s history of and engagement with distance learning extends back to 1999; nearly half of the state’s recently licensed computer science teachers have received training and support through the program. 10
“They come here with a seriousness of purpose that is uncommon. They’re ambitious and they want to be challenged and discover the best version of themselves.”
Out-of-School Enrichment Programs: ASMSA offers a variety of free out-of-school enrichment programs for middle and early high school students. Saturday programs and workshops introduce students to topics across a variety of subjects. One-week summer camps are a more immersive experience tailored to help prospective students explore ASMSA and the residential program.
Use of Campus Facilities: ASMSA allows community groups and nonprofit organizations to use campus classrooms and facilities. Beyond traditional classroom and meeting spaces, the availability of the Oaklawn Foundation Community Center in the Creativity and Innovation Complex provides space for larger gatherings.
News And Recognition
Throughout its history, ASMSA has been recognized as a top public high school. Additionally, ASMSA students are often awarded for their academic performance. Examples of the student recognition can be found in the Student Profile section of this report.
Regional and national news coverage of the school often accompanies the recognition it has received, along with other local and statewide articles related to a variety of campus activities. For example, Director Corey Alderdice was featured on the cover of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette’s Sunday “High Profile” section in August 2022.11
ASMSA has been ranked as a top public high school by publications such as The Washington Post, Newsweek, and The Daily Beast. 12 Niche.com, an online tool for helping students and families find schools and colleges that fit their needs, currently has ASMSA ranked as the number one public school in Arkansas with a grade of A+. Other Niche.com lists that recognize ASMSA include Best Public High Schools in America, Best College Prep Public High Schools in America, and Best High Schools for STEM in America. The site grades schools on academics, diversity, teachers, college prep, clubs and activities, administration, sports, food, and resources and facilities. ASMSA received A’s in every category except sports. 13
The Jay Mathews Challenge Index, developed by an educational columnist for The Washington Post, has recognized ASMSA several times over the years. The index was created in 1998 to recognize schools that challenge average students. It is published in both The Washington Post and Newsweek magazine. In addition to being ranked by the index, ASMSA has also been included in the Public Elite list of the top 29 schools nationwide.14
A commitment to innovation is part of ASMSA’s mission and goals for learning. Study.com has ranked ASMSA among the nation’s Top 30 most innovative high school STEM programs. ASMSA’s Coding Arkansas’ Future initiative was recognized as an inaugural honoree by Code.org's “Champions of Computer Science” awards as well as the National Consortium of Secondary STEM School’s “Innovative STEM Student Program” award. The Research in the Park Program has also been honored by NCSSS as an Innovative Partnership, and the group received the George and Helen Hartzog award for Youth Volunteerism by the U.S. Department of the Interior. Groups nationwide are taking notice of the amazing things happening at ASMSA as well as the school's national leadership in STEM education.
Student Profile
The student body at ASMSA comes from all over Arkansas, representing 68 of the state’s 75 counties based on five-year admissions for the classes of 2019 to 2024. Its demographic profile reflects the diversity, economic status, and first-generation college students of Arkansas.
Demographic Profile
When measuring the qualitative impact of ASMSA, it’s vitally important to consider the various outcome metrics of a high-performing school and its student body. The following data points illustrate these student outcomes:
