eStem Public Charter Schools continues academic growth with newly released state accountability results showing improved school letter grades, strong student growth, and statewide recognition across its campuses.
For the 2025-2026 school year, eStem Elementary improved from a C to a B; eStem Junior High maintained its B rating while moving to within nearly one percent of an A rating; and eStem High School improved from a B to an A. Overall, eStem Public Charter Schools earned a B district rating. All three eStem schools also outperformed the state median for total accountability points within their respective grade configurations.
The results continue a multi-year upward trend for eStem and align with the academic and organizational shift the district presented in May 2025. That shift focused resources on creating a consistent academic program across the elementary, junior high, and high school levels, while strengthening instructional support, professional learning communities, classroom observations, standards tracking, and literacy instruction.
“These results show that our work over the last several years is producing sustained progress for our students,” said Nick Patterson, CEO of eStem Public Charter Schools. “When eStem restructured in May 2025, we committed to focusing our resources, supporting our teachers, and creating a consistent academic program from elementary school through graduation. We knew meaningful improvement would take time and constant effort. To now see continued growth across our schools is a credit to our students, teachers, staff, and families.”
Key achievements include:
The Arkansas Department of Education also recognized eStem Elementary, eStem Junior High, and eStem High as Arkansas Gem Schools.
eStem Elementary earned the designation for sustained improvement after improving across multiple accountability indicators for three consecutive years. The school now ranks above 62% of elementary schools statewide.
eStem Junior High was recognized as an Arkansas Gem School for ranking in the top 5% statewide for overall student growth, Mathematics growth, and English Language Arts growth. The school ranks above 81% of middle schools in Arkansas.
eStem High School was recognized as an Arkansas Gem School for ranking in the top 5% statewide for overall student growth, English Language Arts growth, Science growth, and Science achievement. The school ranks above 90% of Arkansas high schools.
“What is especially encouraging is that we are seeing progress across grade levels and across multiple measures of student achievement,” said Dr. Janice Page, Deputy Superintendent for eStem. “Our educators have been intentional about using strong instructional materials, tracking student progress, and working together to respond to what students need. These results reflect that daily work, but they also give us a clear direction for where we can continue improving.”
Patterson said the district will continue building on the academic model outlined in 2025, focusing on ensuring students are prepared for opportunities beyond high school.
“Improvement is important, but our goal is bigger than a letter grade,” Patterson said. “We want every eStem student to leave us prepared for college, a career, and the world beyond the classroom. These results tell us that our approach is working, and they challenge us to keep raising expectations for ourselves and for what our students can achieve.”