US/Global 
CAN
Evidence of Excellence
Berryville Public Schools
Berryville, Arkansas
of high school students met or exceeded their growth targets in math
Demographics
1,810 STUDENTS / 21% ENGLISH LEARNERS / 71% FREE OR REDUCED LUNCH / 26.1% SPECIAL NEEDS
69% WHITE / 28% HISPANIC / 9% MULTIRACIAL / 2% ASIAN / 1% BLACK / 1% AMERICAN INDIAN OR ALASKA NATIVE
1% NATIVE HAWAIIAN OR PACIFIC ISLANDER
Berryville Public Schools' Challenge
Berryville Public Schools had a strong tradition of academic excellence, but over time, that reputation began to slip—and teachers and leaders felt the pressure. The number of students requiring special education support rose, and despite the best efforts of staff, overall student achievement declined. The district fell from being a regional leader to ranking in the bottom third of surrounding districts.
“We had to step back and ask, ‘Are we really teaching students at grade level?’ That question became our why,” said Tammi Davis, the director of curriculum and instruction. “We’re here to serve kids—and that means ensuring they learn at high levels every day.”
Frustration grew among the staff who worked tirelessly but saw limited results. The district lacked a system for collaboration, aligned intervention, and sustained professional development. Something had to change.
Implementation
Berryville’s journey with Solution Tree began with a spark of curiosity about intervention. After attending a Professional Learning Communities (PLC) at Work® Institute, district leaders began learning more about the PLC at Work process. That led to deeper engagement and ultimately a four-year partnership focused on building essential standards, improving leadership, and transforming school culture.
The district began at the foundation: creating a clear, unified vision and mission. Leadership invited stakeholders—including teachers, support staff, and community members—to monthly meetings, where they developed a shared understanding of their purpose. While some educators initially resisted, viewing the process as just another compliance task, district leaders emphasized that this work wasn’t about mandates; it was about transforming how they do business to better serve students.
Next came training. The district sent an initial group of 15 educators to a PLC at Work Institute, followed by structured support through Cohort 6, a three-year professional learning model. They brought in a PLC associate who helped teams rethink scheduling to make time for collaboration and targeted intervention. The associate worked side by side with principals, offering a fresh lens and helping create urgency and clarity in decision making.
District leaders also participated in monthly meetings with author and associate Janel Keating, who supported leadership development and reinforced consistent messaging across schools. This work emphasized that successful PLC implementation requires visible, sustained commitment from the district level. Superintendent Owen Powell played a key role in publicly supporting the work, prioritizing time for collaboration and aligning decisions with the district’s shared mission.
At the middle and high schools, “Smart Start Mondays” was launched, which included weekly collaborative time built into the calendar so teams could plan, reflect, and respond to student needs.
This is our why: We are here to serve kids and ensure they truly are learning.
Tammi Davis / Director of curriculum and instruction, Berryville Public Schools, Arkansas
Results
Berryville’s commitment to the PLC at Work process led to measurable academic improvement and a stronger school culture. The middle school rose from a D to a B rating and achieved the second highest growth in the state in literacy. Additionally, 95% of high school students met or exceeded their growth targets in math.
One of the most compelling outcomes was the significant reduction in the number of students scoring at Level 1 (the lowest tier) on the ATLAS (Arkansas Teaching, Learning & Assessment System) state assessment from 2023 to 2024:
“Celebrating the small wins is something we’ve done since the beginning,” said Tammi. “It keeps us positive and reminds us this is a journey.”
With improved collaboration, protected team time, and ongoing leadership support, the district built momentum over the last four years, resulting in greater academic gains, higher morale, and a districtwide commitment to learning for all.
Decrease in Students Scoring at Level 1 in ELA and Math (2023–2024)
Why PLC AT WORK®?
Professional learning communities are schools that empower educators to work collaboratively in recurring cycles of collective inquiry and action research to achieve better results for the students they serve.
Learn more about PLC at Work® Learn more on AllThingsPLC.info
Please note that all Evidence of Excellence stories, and the data and people therein, represent solely the timeframe in which Solution Tree actively worked with the school or district and the timeframe in which the school or district committed to implementing processes and practices set forth by Solution Tree. Building and district leaders and staff featured in Evidence of Excellence stories may have changed since the stories were published.
