Research Sylvan Hills Middle School Public Schools in Little Rock, Arkansas

“I think Sylvan Hill is a great school to me! I feel that i learned alot and that it's not a school of alot of learning though' I feel it's a fashion show! Also, I feel that the behavior is well taking care of! Last, I hope this years better I'll be back!”

“I had a child in this school in 2006-2007 and we have moved to Cabot. The child's grades have went up and the behavior problems that were at SHMS, we don't see at this school. I hated the way things were run and there was very little teacher contact... I felt like they did not have control on the students behavior and some of the teaches didn't take enough effort to keep their kids under control during class.. So it cause the kids not to learn as much.. This school needs to have alot of attention on discipline and learning.. It has a long way to go.... I would not suggest this school to anyone...”

“Overall I have been very pleased with the school. My daughter loves the school and is truly enjoying school for the first time in several years. I was a little disappointed in the parent/teacher communication at first (I was used to a much smaller school), after having attended parents night and meeting my daughter's teachers I am very pleased. Aesthetically the school could certainly use some improvements, but that will be taken care of with the new building. I do think that the level of parent involvement is an area that could use some improvement. I would also be interested in knowing how involved the parent are or were that were so critical in their assessments.”

“Very disappointed would be a understatement. My daughter has be going here for one year and her level of knowledge has fell. The teachers in the core classes are pretty much worthless and just seem to be pushing the students through without any level of comprehension. I have tried numerous times to get a conference but always get forgotten. I have arranged to get the weekly progress reports but they always come back incomplete from the teachers. I am definitely looking for another school to send her to. If this is a example of Arkansas schools; it shows why the state is at the bottom in comparison to the country”

“This is my son's first year at SHMS, and overall we've been pretty happy. The new principal is an effective leader, and I believe the teachers will continue to benefit from that. I've found the teachers to be extremely helpful and feel that they really care about my son's progress. I hope the construction of a new facility will help SHMS reach its full potential.”

“I am very disappointed in the school so far. I have a child who loves to learn and is a gifted child and this year is the worse her grades have ever been. I have had nonstop trouble throughout this year and will not be sending my child back next year.”

“I'm very disappointed to learn that shms has no lines of communication between teachers and parents. With todays technology i should have no problem getting on line to check my childs progress, or lack there of, daily homework and test scheduling. I went to the parent meeting hoping to meet his teachers and be able to discuss my child with them. I was more than upset to learn that only one of his six teachers showed up.I have been on line, made phone calls to the school, i'v even been to the school, still no progress. My concerns is if the teachers cant communicate with parents, how will the ever communicate with our children?”

“This school is not good new, at all. I had my daughter attend this school for almost 2 years. She didn't like going there, and i didn't like her goind there either. Staff is horrible, the school just looks like nothing, and the students are very violent towards each other. I wouldn't recommend any of my friends children to go here, not even my enemies children. The school is just disgusting!”

“I am going to allow my son to try it one more year. Last year was very disappointing. Don't understand the values of the teachers. I would receive an immediate phone call / D-hall slip if my pre-teen laughed 'disruptively' with others in the class, but no one notified me if he was slipping in his grades...something you think should be noted in a gifted and talented child with good grades. Overall, I was extremely disappointed in most of the staff, the principal who always disappeared long before the day ended, and the structural condition of the school. In short, it was the worst school experience we've had. If not for my child's continuity and for giving them another chance, I wouldn't hesitate to put my son in another school.”

“I am in the 7th grade and go here i think it is a pretty good school.They have alot for kids to do.I am in choir and am trying out for the high school cheer squad!So when sending your child here don't expect a automatic liking it takes a little while to fit in!It took me a year and now I love it!”

“This school is the best ever! I have good grades and have lots of friends Im also part of the cheerleading team. They have tons of fun things to choose from,from sports to clubs. This is my last year here and I will really miss it! I plan to go to Sylvan Hills High School because I loved the middle school! You should try it! Its great!”

“This is the best middle school in the central Arkansas area. The teachers have high expectations for all students and are the best faculty I've encountered. The office staff is exceptioanlly helpful and professional. This is the third year my daughter has attended SHMS and the first year for my son. Any parent who complains about the quality of education his child receives at this school is probably in denial about his child's own motivation or behavior problems. Bad behavior is not tolerated at SHMS which allows teachers to actually teach and students to actually learn.”

“I have been going here for three years and I like a lot. Whenever I need help i ask and the teacher gives it to me. I have learned a lot in this school. No one can say the teachers don't care because if they didn't they wouldn't have a tutoring program.”

“Iv'e been going to this school for 3 years and I never liked it. I makes good grades but thats not because the teachers. The teachers aren't helping me at all when I actually need it. So I would not suggest your child to go to this school.”

“This is my daughters first year in middle school and the office staff is very rude and don't care about the kids. My daughter is a straight A student and I can tell a definite difference in her attitude and she has also told me the other students and teachers just don't care. I'm very concerned and I am trying to find her another school now. The school is way overcrowded also.”

“I have only had my son here for a little over a month. Within this time I have had all my calls returned and the staff has been most helpful. I recently went in without an appointment and was able to see the principal. I found her to be courteous, outgoing, and very pro-active with the students as well as the parents. So far, I am very happy with the school.”

“I have two daughters that go here.I hate it and so do they.If you are going to put your child in here do not! you will regret the day you did this school is nothing but a scummy old rag compared with anything else.My daghters don't even want to go to school in the morning because there is absolutley nothing to look forward to.No extra things for these students to do.It is all work and no play.You can't expect a student to even get a average grade at this school.As soon as i can find another school i am getting them out of this slum.”

“I have two daughters that attend Sylvan hills and the school itself needs to be torn down and rebuilt. As far as communication with the principal and staff, there seems to be very little, and when i call, i never seem to get call backs.”

“My son has attended this school for two years. I have very little good to say about the Principle and staff. They are only concernd about school ranking. I as a parent have tried to get the best education for my child. We move to this district because of the school. The ranking was very high. This I know now is because of the way they focus only on the exam it self. I cant wait untill my son is out of this school. They are way behind the time. The school is old and dingy then need to do some major renovations. Recomendation: none from this mom.”

“My child addended this school last year. It is just like when I went there in the '70s. I hated it then, and found, that despite my hope that times had changed this dinosaur, it is still the same monster that robs students of any love of learning they may possess. I found the teachers uncaring, and it was impossible for me to ever arrange a 'team meeting' during the whole year. A very punitive atmosphere. Nice football field. Too bad that is the best the school can offer. There has to be a better way. I tried very hard to work with the faculty to help my child succeed, but was met only by brick walls, and fences, which is what strikes me about the physical aspects of the campus. The Bear has mange. Go Bears...whatever. Northwood was better. Truth hurts. But this is the truth.”

“When the district changed the Jr. High to a Middle School many of the extracurricular activities were taken away and or changed to an 'intramural' type program. Parental involvement is not facilitated at this school. I have never been able to speak to a counselor nor has one ever returned a phone call.”

“This school is to old and to small for this community. Not enough extra curricular activities are offered and the choice of classes the students may take is very inadequate in this day and age. The teachers aren't paid well and don't have enough help in their classes. The place is just plain falling apart!”

“Overall this is an excellent school. I would not send my child to any other middle school. Parent envolvement is low, parents need to be more concerned about what is going on at their childs school.”

“This schools is overcrowded. We really do need another middle school in the area.”