Stephens Elementary

Summary:

Stephens Elementary is a public elementary school in Little Rock, Arkansas, serving grades PK-5 with a total enrollment of 434 students. The school is part of the Little Rock School District, which is ranked 189 out of 252 districts in Arkansas and has a 1-star rating.

Stephens Elementary has consistently ranked in the bottom 10% of Arkansas elementary schools, with a ranking of 492 out of 497 schools in the 2023-2024 school year and a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger. The school significantly underperforms the district and state in academic proficiency across all subjects and grade levels, with only 9.1% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts and 6.3% in mathematics, compared to 26.1% and 23.4% in the district, respectively. Stephens Elementary also has an extremely high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 93.78% to 100% over the past three school years, indicating a high concentration of students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.

In comparison, the nearby M.L. King Elementary School, Gibbs Magnet Elementary School, and Forest Heights STEM Academy generally outperform Stephens Elementary in academic proficiency, with some schools ranking in the top 20% of Arkansas elementary schools. These schools have lower percentages of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, suggesting that socioeconomic factors may play a significant role in the academic performance of Stephens Elementary. Addressing the unique challenges faced by the school's high concentration of economically disadvantaged students and exploring collaborative opportunities with higher-performing nearby schools may be key to improving the academic outcomes at Stephens Elementary.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

3700 W 18th St
Little Rock, AR 72204

(501) 447-6400

District: Little Rock School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
492^nd of 497 Arkansas Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $13,754

Students who attend Stephens Elementary usually attend:

High:

Central High School

Student/teacher ratio: 16.9

Number of students: 434

Racial breakdown:

African American:

89.9%

Hispanic:

5.3%

White:

2.8%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 93.8%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Stephens Elementary ranks worse than 99% of elementary schools in Arkansas. It also ranks 22^nd among 23 ranked elementary schools in the Little Rock School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 4.88. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: African American (89.9%), Hispanic (5.3%), White (2.8%). (See more...)

Compare Details 93.8% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Stephens Elementary is 16.9, which is the 11^th best among 23 elementary schools in the Little Rock School District. (See more...)

Compare Stephens Elementary employs 25.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Stephens Elementary is $13,754, which is the 8^th highest among 23 elementary schools in the Little Rock School District.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Stephens Elementary was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Little Rock School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Little Rock School District 189^th of 252 Arkansas school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Stephens Elementary

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AR State Percentile
2005	4.60	403^rd	411	1.9%
2006	2.46	401^st	402	0.2%
2007	12.89	399^th	440	9.3%
2009	7.00	426^th	445	4.3%
2010	9.65	431^st	457	5.7%
2011	7.42	448^th	471	4.9%
2012	8.41	447^th	468	4.5%
2013	6.07	456^th	476	4.2%
2014	15.59	432^nd	471	8.3%
2015	28.23	365^th	466	21.7%
2016	12.38	461^st	494	6.7%
2017	9.31	460^th	485	5.2%
2018	4.54	474^th	480	1.3%
2019	7.14	462^nd	488	5.3%
2021	4.03	489^th	496	1.4%
2022	3.67	479^th	487	1.6%
2023	3.66	488^th	492	0.8%
2024	4.88	492^nd	497	1.0%

See the entire list of Arkansas Elementary School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Data source: Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary Education

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Reviews:
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Enrollment information for Stephens Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2001	6	312	0	13	1	n/a	n/a	332
2002	16	535	1	16	1	n/a	n/a	569
2003	16	535	1	16	1	n/a	n/a	569
2004	11	517	2	16	1	n/a	n/a	547
2005	15	473	1	10	0	n/a	n/a	499
2006	11	527	0	8	1	n/a	n/a	547
2007	10	443	0	16	0	n/a	n/a	469
2008	11	408	1	9	0	n/a	n/a	429
2009	7	387	0	12	0	n/a	n/a	406
2010	6	447	0	14	0	0	0	467
2011	11	407	0	18	1	0	1	438
2012	12	398	1	18	0	0	1	430
2013	5	426	1	20	0	0	1	453
2014	10	362	0	17	1	0	5	395
2015	8	350	0	15	0	0	7	380
2016	8	343	0	9	0	0	5	365
2017	7	351	0	11	3	0	3	375
2018	16	538	0	25	3	0	9	591
2019	20	468	0	19	1	0	5	513
2020	12	445	0	24	2	0	2	485
2021	24	400	0	21	2	0	1	448
2022	8	416	0	21	3	0	4	452
2023	12	390	2	23	4	0	3	434

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Stephens Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2001	332	18.0	18.4	79.5
2002	569	35.0	16.3	81.5
2003	569	35.0	16.3	81.5
2004	547	32.0	17.1	83.5
2005	499	36.0	13.9	81
2006	547	39.0	14.0	80.3
2007	469	39.0	12.0	92.5
2008	429	36.0	11.9	96
2009	406	30.0	13.5	93.1
2010	467	33.4	15.0	96.8
2011	438	30.0	14.6	96.6
2012	430	23.6	18.1	94.2
2013	453	25.4	17.7	99.3
2014	395	23.3	16.9	50.4
2015	380	28.0	13.5	95.3
2016	365	29.0	12.5	99.2
2017	375	25.8	14.5	20.5
2018	591	34.3	17.2	12.7
2019	513	28.7	17.8	91.2
2020	485	30.7	15.7	100
2021	448	32.6	13.7	99.8
2022	452	25.2	17.8	100
2023	434	25.5	16.9	93.8

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Stephens Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2001	332	18.0	18.4	79.5
2002	569	35.0	16.3	81.5
2003	569	35.0	16.3	81.5
2004	547	32.0	17.1	83.5
2005	499	36.0	13.9	81
2006	547	39.0	14.0	80.3
2007	469	39.0	12.0	92.5
2008	429	36.0	11.9	96
2009	406	30.0	13.5	93.1
2010	467	33.4	15.0	96.8
2011	438	30.0	14.6	96.6
2012	430	23.6	18.1	94.2
2013	453	25.4	17.7	99.3
2014	395	23.3	16.9	50.4
2015	380	28.0	13.5	95.3
2016	365	29.0	12.5	99.2
2017	375	25.8	14.5	20.5
2018	591	34.3	17.2	12.7
2019	513	28.7	17.8	91.2
2020	485	30.7	15.7	100
2021	448	32.6	13.7	99.8
2022	452	25.2	17.8	100
2023	434	25.5	16.9	93.8

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Stephens Elementary

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$3,975 (28.9%)	$9,779 (71.1%)	$13,754

Data source: Arkansas Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Stephens Elementary

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 462^nd of 488 Elementary schools	Ranks 488^th of 492 Elementary schools	4.5%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English (Stephens Elementary)	37.7	23.2	14.5%
3rd Grade English (Little Rock School District)	61.5	51.9	9.6%
3rd Grade English (Arkansas)	72.4	62.6	9.8%
3rd Grade Math (Stephens Elementary)	24.7	20.3	4.4%
3rd Grade Math (Little Rock School District)	51.3	40.7	10.6%
3rd Grade Math (Arkansas)	62.1	54.4	7.7%
3rd Grade Science (Stephens Elementary)	13	2.7	10.3%
3rd Grade Science (Little Rock School District)	30.4	26.9	3.5%
3rd Grade Science (Arkansas)	39.4	35	4.4%
3rd Grade Reading (Stephens Elementary)	13	5.5	7.5%
3rd Grade Reading (Little Rock School District)	30.9	26.6	4.3%
3rd Grade Reading (Arkansas)	38.3	32.2	6.1%
4th Grade English (Stephens Elementary)	35.3	28.4	6.9%
4th Grade English (Little Rock School District)	57.1	51.8	5.3%
4th Grade English (Arkansas)	69.6	63.3	6.3%
4th Grade Math (Stephens Elementary)	22.1	9.3	12.8%
4th Grade Math (Little Rock School District)	41.6	35.6	6%
4th Grade Math (Arkansas)	53.8	48.6	5.2%
4th Grade Science (Stephens Elementary)	10.3	8	2.3%
4th Grade Science (Little Rock School District)	32.9	30	2.9%
4th Grade Science (Arkansas)	42.3	38.5	3.8%
4th Grade Reading (Stephens Elementary)	14.7	20.5	5.8%
4th Grade Reading (Little Rock School District)	37.7	35.5	2.2%
4th Grade Reading (Arkansas)	45.3	42	3.3%
5th Grade English (Stephens Elementary)	63.3	44.2	19.1%
5th Grade English (Little Rock School District)	62.3	59.8	2.5%
5th Grade English (Arkansas)	73.3	70.2	3.1%
5th Grade Math (Stephens Elementary)	20.2	0	20.2%
5th Grade Math (Little Rock School District)	38	24.2	13.8%
5th Grade Math (Arkansas)	49.2	40.7	8.5%
5th Grade Science (Stephens Elementary)	21.5	7.7	13.8%
5th Grade Science (Little Rock School District)	31	23.6	7.4%
5th Grade Science (Arkansas)	40.7	34.6	6.1%
5th Grade Reading (Stephens Elementary)	21.6	11.8	9.8%
5th Grade Reading (Little Rock School District)	32.7	28.4	4.3%
5th Grade Reading (Arkansas)	41	36.8	4.2%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	513	434	15.4%
African American	468	390	16.7%
American Indian	1	4	300%
Asian	0	2
Hispanic	19	23	21.1%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	20	12	40%
Two or More Races	5	3	40%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	91.2%	93.8%	2.6%

Schools Near Stephens Elementary

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				ATLAS English Language Arts (2024)							ATLAS Reading (2024)							ATLAS Mathematics (2024)							ATLAS Algebra (2024)		ATLAS Geometry (2024)		ATLAS Science (2024)							ATLAS Biology (2024)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	ATLAS English Language Arts 3rd Grade	ATLAS English Language Arts 4th Grade	ATLAS English Language Arts 5th Grade	ATLAS English Language Arts 6th Grade	ATLAS English Language Arts 7th Grade	ATLAS English Language Arts 8th Grade	ATLAS English Language Arts All Grades	ATLAS Reading 3rd Grade	ATLAS Reading 4th Grade	ATLAS Reading 5th Grade	ATLAS Reading 6th Grade	ATLAS Reading 7th Grade	ATLAS Reading 8th Grade	ATLAS Reading All Grades	ATLAS Mathematics 3rd Grade	ATLAS Mathematics 4th Grade	ATLAS Mathematics 5th Grade	ATLAS Mathematics 6th Grade	ATLAS Mathematics 7th Grade	ATLAS Mathematics 8th Grade	ATLAS Mathematics All Grades	ATLAS Algebra 8th Grade	ATLAS Algebra All Grades	ATLAS Geometry 8th Grade	ATLAS Geometry All Grades	ATLAS Science 3rd Grade	ATLAS Science 4th Grade	ATLAS Science 5th Grade	ATLAS Science 6th Grade	ATLAS Science 7th Grade	ATLAS Science 8th Grade	ATLAS Science All Grades	ATLAS Biology 8th Grade	ATLAS Biology All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Stephens Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3700 W 18th St	Little Rock	72204	Pulaski County	Little Rock School District	No	No	No	Yes	(501) 447-6400	434	26	16.9	93.8%	12 (2.8%)	390 (89.9%)	23 (5.3%)	2 (0.5%)	4 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.7%)	4.9	492^nd of 497 public elementary schools	1.0%		3.7	488^th of 492 public elementary schools	0.8%	4	8.5	7.6	11.3				9.1	8.3	6.3	13.9				9.4	4.2	5.1	9.7				6.3					8.3	5.1	4.2				5.8			$13,754	$3,975	$9,779
Friendship Academy Little Rock Elementary	Public, Charter	K-5	3615 West 25th Street	Little Rock	72202	Pulaski County	Friendship Aspire Academies Arkansas	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(501) 621-1500	241	15	16.2	82.2%	0 (0.0%)	214 (88.8%)	24 (10.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.2%)	22.7	409^th of 497 public elementary schools	17.7%					(n/a)	35.5	11.8	18.5				20.1	29.1	9.8	18.5				17.5	51.6	9.8	33.3				27.5					25.8	2.0	18.5				12.8
Ivy Hill Preparatory Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	2410 S Battery St	Little Rock	72206	Pulaski County	Scholarmade Achievement Place Of Arkansas	Yes	No	No	Yes	(501) 404-0012	163	17	9.8	100.0%	1 (0.6%)	162 (99.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10.2	470^th of 497 public elementary schools	5.4%		15.5	428^th of 492 public elementary schools	13.0%	42	14.2	13.2	10.6	13.9	6.3	5.0	11.3	12.2	13.2	8.5	16.3	3.1	5.0	10.5	14.3	5.3	6.4	11.6	9.4	5.0	9.2					24.5	18.4	14.9	16.3	15.6	0.0	16.6			$10,255	$887	$9,368
Pulaski Heights Elementary School	Public	K-5	319 N Pine St	Little Rock	72205	Pulaski County	Little Rock School District	No	No	No	Yes	(501) 447-5900	271	15	18.0	47.6%	146 (53.9%)	104 (38.4%)	9 (3.3%)	7 (2.6%)	3 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.7%)	62.9	183^rd of 497 public elementary schools	63.2%		71.3	140^th of 492 public elementary schools	71.5%	43	67.3	37.5	47.3				50.7	67.3	35.4	47.3				50.0	40.8	29.2	30.9				33.6					42.8	27.1	29.1				32.9			$11,254	$1,620	$9,634
Ark. School For The Blind Elementary	Public	K-6	2600 W Markham St	Little Rock	72203	Pulaski County	Ark. School For The Blind	No	No	No	Yes	(501) 296-1810	38	12	3.2	100.0%	21 (55.3%)	13 (34.2%)	2 (5.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (5.3%)								(n/a)							11.8							11.2							5.6											22.2
M.L. King Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	907 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd	Little Rock	72202	Pulaski County	Little Rock School District	No	No	No	Yes	(501) 447-5100	341	26	13.2	86.5%	16 (4.7%)	307 (90.0%)	11 (3.2%)	5 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	8.7	476^th of 497 public elementary schools	4.2%		5.2	480^th of 492 public elementary schools	2.4%	4	17.0	15.3	8.1				13.5	12.8	17.0	8.1				12.7	6.4	13.2	12.3				10.7					8.5	15.1	10.2				11.4			$18,121	$6,289	$11,832
Gibbs Magnet Elementary School	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	1115 W 16th St	Little Rock	72202	Pulaski County	Little Rock School District	No	Yes	No	Yes	(501) 447-4900	284	18	15.8	59.5%	79 (27.8%)	182 (64.1%)	17 (6.0%)	2 (0.7%)	3 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	62.5	188^th of 497 public elementary schools	62.2%		55.7	230^th of 492 public elementary schools	53.3%	42	50.0	53.5	34.0				45.6	41.3	53.5	38.3				44.1	30.4	48.8	38.3				39.0					34.8	39.5	23.4				32.4			$14,022	$2,334	$11,688
Bale Elementary School	Public	K-5	6501 W 32nd St	Little Rock	72204	Pulaski County	Little Rock School District	No	No	No	Yes	(501) 447-3600	403	24	16.7	93.5%	24 (6.0%)	304 (75.4%)	65 (16.1%)	1 (0.2%)	5 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.0%)	5.7	488^th of 497 public elementary schools	1.8%		5.2	479^th of 492 public elementary schools	2.6%	9	8.1	5.0	12.7				8.9	10.2	5.0	15.5				10.6	8.1	5.0	9.8				7.8					8.2	3.3	9.9				7.2			$11,812	$2,622	$9,190
Forest Heights Stem Academy	Public	K-8	5901 Evergreen	Little Rock	72205	Pulaski County	Little Rock School District	No	No	No	Yes	(501) 447-2700	739	47	15.5	50.2%	205 (27.7%)	418 (56.6%)	66 (8.9%)	38 (5.1%)	1 (0.1%)	3 (0.4%)	8 (1.1%)	77.5	89^th of 497 public elementary schools	82.1%		78.8	84^th of 492 public elementary schools	82.9%	5	53.3	38.5	52.1	48.8	63.6	49.1	51.7	52.0	41.4	52.1	48.8	63.6	49.1	51.9	46.7	35.7	56.1	38.6	49.2	21.4	41.9	46.4	47.6	100.0	100.0	48.0	34.3	42.5	51.2	59.5	46.8	48.5	100.0	100.0	$12,017	$1,687	$10,331
Washington Elementary School	Public	K-5	2700 S Main St	Little Rock	72206	Pulaski County	Little Rock School District	No	No	No	Yes	(501) 447-6700	319	20	15.7	96.9%	12 (3.8%)	293 (91.8%)	12 (3.8%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	11.4	460^th of 497 public elementary schools	7.4%		5.4	477^th of 492 public elementary schools	3.0%	17	18.3	5.1	17.6				13.3	20.4	5.0	21.1				15.1	24.4	0.0	17.5				13.2					14.3	5.0	15.8				11.4			$17,049	$4,974	$12,075

Frequently Asked Questions about Stephens Elementary

What schools do graduates of Stephens Elementary attend?

Students who attend Stephens Elementary usually go on to attend:

High : Central High School

Is Stephens Elementary a good school?

Stephens Elementary ranks in the bottom 1.0% of Arkansas elementary schools.

What is the racial makeup of Stephens Elementary?

Students at Stephens Elementary are 90% African American, 5% Hispanic, 3% White.

How many students attend Stephens Elementary?

In the 2022-23 school year, 434 students attended Stephens Elementary.

What district is Stephens Elementary in?

Little Rock School District

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.