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LAUREL – Faculty, staff, administrators, students and parents may describe Laurel-Concord-Coleridge Public School 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, Laurel- Concord-Coleridge school district received high marks from Nebraska’s accountability system classification, called AQuESTT (Accountability for a Quality Education System Today). AQuESTT annually classifies schools and districts as Excellent, Great, Good, and Needs Support to Improve. Only 29 percent of Nebraska schools received an “Excellent” ranking this year.
LCC’s Middle School at Coleridge jumped up two classifications from a “Good” rating for 2023-24 data up to the highest classification of “Excellent” for 2024-25 data. The elementary, high school and district overall received a “Great” ranking from the NDE.
This change was driven by notable gains in student achievement and growth, said Superintendent Jeremy Christiansen.
A stronger focus on core instruction – especially reading and math, along with data-driven interventions, and other support programs factored into the jump in ranking at the middle school, he said.
“These improvements reflect the collective efforts of teachers, interventionists and support staff who have been extremely intentional in meeting students where they are and helping them grow,” Christiansen said.
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 on the academic year 2024-25.
Other data that can add or subtract from a ranking include graduation rates, chronic absenteeism, English language proficiency and student disciplinary actions.
“We are particularly proud of our academic growth, high graduation rates and the consistently strong student participation in statewide assessments,” Christiansen said, with data indicating students meeting or exceeding expectations, and more importantly, that students across grade levels are showing meaningful improvement over time.
According to the data, LCC students scored better than the statewide average for NSCAS English Language Arts (LCC – 72 percent, state – 59 percent); NSCAS Math (LCC– 64 percent, state – 58 percent); NSCAS Science (LCC – 81 percent, state – 80 percent), as well as in ACT scores.
Christiansen said he’s also pleased with LCC’s graduation rates reaching new highs.
AQuESTT is one important measure of progress, he said.
“These results affirm that the work our teachers and students are doing each day is making a difference,” Christiansen said. “At the same time, the report helps us identify areas where we can continue to focus and improve.” Chronic absenteeism is a statewide challenge and one at LCC, he said. “Although we have strong student engagement in the classroom, chronic absenteeism remains above the state-defined target,” Christiansen said. “Regular attendance is essential for learning, and we are partnering with families to improve consistency.” The AQuESTT data also highlights the need to strengthen services and support for students with disabilities, he said. Other Cedar County schools received high AQuESTT marks with Randolph Public Schools ranked “Excellent,” and Hartington-Newcastle and Wynot Public Schools ranked “Great.” Statewide data indicates 327 (29.8 percent) of schools were classified as “Excellent,” 393 (35.9 percent) were “Great,” 293 (26.7 percent) were “Good,” and 83 (7.6 percent) were designated as “Needs Support to Improve.” This is 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.
AQuESTT encourages schools to build a system for continuous school improvement, and recognizes and rewards school initiatives that support student learning, the school environment and educators including those that supported student success through positive school partnerships and relationships; helped students successfully transition between grades, schools and programs; provided student access to comprehensive instructional opportunities; helped students prepare for college and careers; used multiple assessments to measure student learning; and supported education effectiveness.
