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RANDOLPH – Faculty, staff, administrators, students and parents may describe Randolph Public Schools as “great” or even “excellent.” Now the school is officially classified with those adjectives by the Nebraska Department of Education (NDE).
For the fourth year in a row, Randolph Public Schools received high marks from NDE’s accountability system classification, called AQuESTT (Accountability for a Quality Education System Today).
Randolph High School received an “Excellent” ranking, for the third straight year. The overall Randolph Public Schools district also received an “Excellent” rating while Randolph’s elementary and middle schools both received a “Great” ranking.
Only 29 percent of Nebraska schools received an “Excellent” ranking this year.
“We were very excited to see these scores,” said Superintendent Daryl Schrunk. “It shows the quality work that our students are displaying daily and especially on these state assessments. Our staff works hard to ensure our students are receiving a well-rounded education with specific emphasis on the skills students will need for the future.”
The AQuESTT system classifies schools based on state test scores, particularly the Nebraska Student- Centered Assessment System (NSCAS). NSCAS English Language Arts and Mathematics tests are given in third through eighth grades. NSCAS science tests are given in fifth and eighth grades. High school juniors take the American College Test (ACT). The data used for the ranking currently released is based off the academic year 2024-25.
Other data that can add or subtract from test scores to make up the ranking including graduation rates, chronic absenteeism, English language proficiency, and student disciplinary actions.
According to the data, Randolph Public Schools scored better than the statewide average for NSCAS English Language Arts (Randolph – 67 percent, state – 59 percent); NSCAS Math (Randolph – 65 percent, state – 58 percent); NSCAS Science (Randolph – 88 percent, state – 80 percent), as well as in the ACT scores.
The elementary school increased its ranking from “Good” to “Great” since last year.
Elementary Principal Denton Beacom said over the past year elementary teachers shifted focus onto Tier 1 instruction in both reading and math. Tier 1 instruction refers to core curriculum teaching provided to all students in a general education classroom, specifically used to prevent learning gaps. The district’s instructional model also shifted to high quality instruction across all classrooms, he said.
Starting last year, reading teachers were also supported with instructional coaching.
“Instructional coaching has continued this school year with an emphasis on small group instruction,” Beacom said, adding that innovative programs and resources were also added to support students with reading.
Focusing on foundational skills in the primary and intermediate grades allows students to gain the skills needed for reading comprehension requirements in upper grades, he said. Students are also getting additional interventions through What I Need (WIN) Time that is built into the school day. All Cedar County schools received high marks on the AQuESTT classification. Laurel-Concord- Coleridge, Hartington Public Schools and Wynot Public Schools all received “Great” marks.
AQuESTT annually classifies schools and districts as Excellent, Great, Good, and Needs Support to Improve.
Statewide data shows 327 (29 percent) of schools were classified as “Excellent,” 393 (36 percent) were “Great,” 293 (27 percent) were “Good,” and 83 (8 percent) were designated as “Needs Support to Improve.” There was an increase of 38 (3.5 percent) schools in the highest two classification levels from 2024.
NDE officials said 2025 is the final year of using the current classification system. There will be changes in 2026 intended to improve transparency and be more meaningful for continuous improvement. What those changes will be is still unknown, Schrunk said.
