BY LEANN DILBECK –
Holly Harshman Elementary and Mena Middle School of the Mena School District were both presented the “Beating the Odds” award by the Office for Education Policy at the University of Arkansas in a recent report titled, “Outstanding Educational Performance Awards.”
These awards are based on the OEP-created “school GPA,” calculated on the basis of the percentage of students that perform at a particular level on the Benchmark exam (advanced, proficient, basic, and below basic). “Beating the Odds” awards are given to high-achieving school that are classified as “low-poverty,” defined as 66% or more of students receiving free or reduced lunch.
About Author
Jeri Pearson
Jeri is the News Director for Pulse Multi-Media and Editor of The Polk County Pulse. She has 10 years of experience in community focused journalism and has won multiple press association awards.

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