Link: 2024 Arkansas Teacher Workforce Report The LEARNS Act mandates the Arkansas Department of Education’s Division of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) to produce an annual report on the state’s teacher workforce. In collaboration with DESE’s Office of Educator Effectiveness and Licensure, the Office for Education Policy identifies priority areas and conducts data analysis and ..read more

2023-2024 Grade 11 ACT Scores for DISTRICTS and SCHOOLS ..read more

Link: Administrators’ Views of Teacher Salary Changes Under the Arkansas LEARNS Act SUMMARY ..read more

Link: Wellbeing and Working Conditions in the Arkansas Teacher Workforce In the spring of the 2023-2024 school year, we developed the Arkansas Teacher Survey in collaboration with the Arkansas Department of Education. The survey was deployed in May of 2024 to a representative sample of Arkansas teachers. A total of 2,721 teachers responded to our ..read more

by Josh B. McGee The LEARNS Act (Act 237 of the 2023 Regular Session) established the Merit Teacher Incentive Fund Program, also known as Merit Pay, to recognize and reward Arkansas’s outstanding educators. The primary goals of the program are to retain high-performing teachers in classrooms across Arkansas and enhance teacher recruitment and retention in ..read more

Achievement scores from last Spring’s new statewide assessment called ATLAS were released publicly today. As stakeholders around the state start to make meaning of what the results mean for educators and students, these scores reflect how students in grades 3-10 performed on the tests in English Language Arts, mathematics, and science.  You can check them ..read more

2023-2024 ATLAS Data for DISTRICTS ..read more

Have you ever tried hiking in cushy running shoes, only to feel unsteady and unsupported on the rough terrain? It’s uncomfortable because those shoes were made for a different purpose—running, not hiking.  This idea of “purpose” is key when talking about Arkansas’s new education assessment system, the Arkansas Teaching, Learning, and Assessment System (ATLAS). The ..read more

Do you ever wonder about charter schools? You are not alone! Here at OEP we appreciate Arkansas’s charter schools for the opportunity they offer for students who may not feel the ‘right fit’ at their traditional public school. Today we release a report on how the academic value-added growth and achievement of students attending an ..read more

Here at OEP, we have lots of news to share today! First… OEP is hosting a webinar for district and school administrators about the phone-free schools pilot program study. You do not need to be participating in the pilot to attend, but you must register. Sign up at at this link or tinyurl.com/phonefreear. Tuesday, September ..read more