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Articles 61 - 90 of 126
Full-Text Articles in Education
Traditional Public School And Charter School Funding In Arkansas (Updated), Sarah C. Mckenzie, Gary W. Ritter
Traditional Public School And Charter School Funding In Arkansas (Updated), Sarah C. Mckenzie, Gary W. Ritter
Policy Briefs
The existence and expansion of charter schools in Arkansas continue to be controversial. Proponents of charters argue that charter schools are unfairly burdened because they do not have access to local property tax revenue. Critics of charters, on the other hand, argue that charter schools pull funding away from traditional public schools. This brief examines the funding of traditional public schools and charter schools across the state and in the particular regions in which most Arkansas charter schools are located.
Charter School Authorizers, Reed Greenwood, Gary W. Ritter
Charter School Authorizers, Reed Greenwood, Gary W. Ritter
Policy Briefs
Two types of charter schools exist in Arkansas: open-enrollment charter schools, which operate independently of any district, and district conversion charter schools, which operate within an existing school district. Charter schools have more autonomy on certain rules and regulations than traditional public schools; however, charter schools are held accountable for academic results and fiscal matters, as defined by the charters contract. Charter schools are approved and held accountable by a charter authorizer. In the 2013 General Assembly, a law passed to change Arkansas’ charter authorizer from the State Board of Education to a newly created panel within the Department of …
2012-13 Arkansas Test Results, Michael L. Crouch, Gary W. Ritter
2012-13 Arkansas Test Results, Michael L. Crouch, Gary W. Ritter
Policy Briefs
In early August, the Arkansas Department of Education (ADE) released the 2012-2013 test score results. The following brief will highlight the results of these tests, compare achievement scores over time, and provide a glimpse of regional achievement results for the following exams: Benchmark Exam (Grades 3-8) End-of-Course Exam (Algebra I, Geometry, Biology, and Grade 11 Literacy). Iowa Test of Basic Skills (Grades 1-9)
2013 Legislative Review, Reed Greenwood, Gary W. Ritter
2013 Legislative Review, Reed Greenwood, Gary W. Ritter
Policy Briefs
The 89th General Assembly in Arkansas convened on Monday January 14th and would file 2,640 pieces of legislation over the next 100 days. Of this legislation, there were 145 House Bills, 4 House Resolutions, and 97 Senate Bills referred to either the House or Senate Education Committees. That is a grand total of 246 pieces of “education” legislation representing roughly 9 percent of legislation filed in the session. The purpose of this policy brief is to review some of the “high -profile” education bills during the session. The highlighted bills here are split into three categories: 1) school choice, 2) …
Categorical Funding In Arkansas, Reed Greenwood, Gary W. Ritter
Categorical Funding In Arkansas, Reed Greenwood, Gary W. Ritter
Policy Briefs
As a result of the Arkansas Supreme Court’s Lake View v. Huckabee Decision, the Public School Funding Act of 2003 established Arkansas’ current funding system. A part of the current system allocates additional funding for districts based on need (categorical funding). In doing so, the state recognizes that it is necessary to distribute additional funding based on educational need to meet adequacy and equity standards. The system allocates funding for groups of students who face particular challenges: Alternative Learning Environment students (ALE), English-language Learners (ELL), and students in poverty (National School Lunch Act). In the current legislative session, lawmakers are …
Fifth…Or Forty-Ninth? Examining Educational Rankings In Arkansas, Reed Greenwood, Gary W. Ritter
Fifth…Or Forty-Ninth? Examining Educational Rankings In Arkansas, Reed Greenwood, Gary W. Ritter
Policy Briefs
Media outlets, as well as many leaders across the state, have recently been trumpeting the Natural State’s fifth-place ranking in the latest release of Education Week’s Quality Counts, which assigns letter grades to every state on a menu of education measures, to suggest that Arkansas schools “rank fifth in the country.” On the other hand, the state received a D on the Student Achievement category of Quality Counts and many Arkansans are accustomed to seeing Arkansas ranked at or near the bottom among all states on measures related to education and economic well-being. For example, on measures of college degree …
Quality Counts 2013, Reed Greenwood, Gary W. Ritter
Quality Counts 2013, Reed Greenwood, Gary W. Ritter
Policy Briefs
In an attempt to gauge the educational progress of the nation and each state, Education Week has published state report cards since 1997 in its annual Quality Counts series. The 17 h annual report - Quality Counts 2013 - was released in January. Overall, Arkansas maintained last year’s ranking of 5 th among the 50 states and earned the highest score of the eight states in the U.S. that received a B- (dropping from a grade of ‘B’ last year). This policy brief examines Arkansas’ rank in each category of the report as well as the quality of the report …
Academic Performance Of Charter Schools In Arkansas: 2011-2012, Reed Greenwood, Gary W. Ritter
Academic Performance Of Charter Schools In Arkansas: 2011-2012, Reed Greenwood, Gary W. Ritter
Policy Briefs
The 2013 legislative session is underway, and there are a number of policy changes under consideration. One hotly-debated issue involves whether the state should allow for multiple authorizers for charter schools (currently, only the State Board of Education may authorize charter schools). Moreover, several charter schools will testify before the State Board of Education in spring 2013 seeking charter reauthorization. As the issue of charter schools again takes center stage, we present an extension of our 2012 policy brief focused on charter schools. While our previous brief presented descriptive data on state’s open enrollment charter schools, this policy brief takes …
2011-12 Arkansas Open-Enrollment Charter School Test Results, Reed Greenwood, Gary W. Ritter
2011-12 Arkansas Open-Enrollment Charter School Test Results, Reed Greenwood, Gary W. Ritter
Policy Briefs
Charter schools are receiving more attention in Arkansas and across the nation, as the number of these public schools of choice in Arkansas fluctuates each year. Some charters have been closed, while new ones have been opened. Further, in many media outlets, charter schools are often lumped together as one entity. However, ‘charter school’ is not a blanket term. They are separate schools run under separate charter documents with different operators. In Arkansas, there are two types of charter schools: conversion charter schools and openenrollment charter schools. Conversion charter schools are governed by the leadership in the district in which …
Houston, We Have A…Solution?, Reed Greenwood, Gary W. Ritter
Houston, We Have A…Solution?, Reed Greenwood, Gary W. Ritter
Policy Briefs
The Arkansas Department of Education recently released the list of the lowest performing schools in Arkansas—labeled as focus and priority schools. Now that these schools have been singled out, they will be subjected to heavy intervention. Educators and policymakers all over Arkansas have their eyes on these schools and are asking - what's next? How do we turn around lower performing schools? What works? In this policy brief, we outline one particular program—the Apollo 20 program—that is working to turnaround achievement in lower performing schools. Early results show gains comparable with prominent charter schools in the nation, but some criticize …
Common Core State Standards In Arkansas, Caleb P. Rose, Gary W. Ritter
Common Core State Standards In Arkansas, Caleb P. Rose, Gary W. Ritter
Policy Briefs
In July 2010, the Arkansas Board of Education adopted the Common Core State Standards and the PARCC Assessment program. The Arkansas Department of Education (ADE) then created a strategic plan and a timeline for the implementation of the standards. The new standards were implemented in Arkansas K-2 classrooms this past school year, 2011-12. During this current school year, 2012-13, the standards are being implemented in grades 3-8.
Arkansas’ Esea Waiver Approval Update, Caleb P. Rose, Gary W. Ritter
Arkansas’ Esea Waiver Approval Update, Caleb P. Rose, Gary W. Ritter
Policy Briefs
On June 29th, 2012, the US Department of Education announced that it had approved Arkansas’s ESEA waiver request. On July 4th, the Arkansas Department of Education (ADE) announced it had identified 48 Priority and 110 Focus schools. Priority and Focus schools are the new names for the two lowest-rated school performance categories; schools and districts in these categories are subject to ADE intervention. This policy brief explains the major differences between the accountability system under No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and the new revised system.
2011-2012 Arkansas Test Results, Reed Greenwood, Gary W. Ritter
2011-2012 Arkansas Test Results, Reed Greenwood, Gary W. Ritter
Policy Briefs
On Monday, July 30, the Arkansas Department of Education (ADE) released the 2011-2012 test score results. The following brief will highlight the results of these tests, compare achievement scores over time, and provide a glimpse of regional achievement results for the following exams: Benchmark Exam (Grades 3-8) End-of-Course Exam (Algebra I, Geometry, Biology, and Grade 11 Literacy). Iowa Test of Basic Skills (Grades 1-9)
Traditional And Charter School Funding In Arkansas, Reed Greenwood, Gary W. Ritter
Traditional And Charter School Funding In Arkansas, Reed Greenwood, Gary W. Ritter
Policy Briefs
Charter schools, once considered an anomaly, are becoming increasingly common in the U.S. There are concerns among some education stakeholders that charter schools pull funding away from traditional public schools, since a large portion of education funds follow the student to the charter school. Conversely, some argue that there are funding inequities that favor public schools. These individuals claim that since charter schools are public schools, the funds allocated to them should be the equivalent of that received by the traditional public schools. This brief examines funding of traditional and charter schools in Arkansas
Arkansas’ Plan For Accountability And Achievement: Analyzing The Esea Waiver Request, Misty Newcomb, Greg Michel
Arkansas’ Plan For Accountability And Achievement: Analyzing The Esea Waiver Request, Misty Newcomb, Greg Michel
Policy Briefs
In October 2011, President Obama developed rules for states to individually develop requests for waivers to the accountability requirements of No Child Left Behind. This week, the Arkansas Department of Education (ADE) submitted the plan for the state of Arkansas’ request for waivers.
Quality Counts 2012, Misty Newcomb, Gary W. Ritter
Quality Counts 2012, Misty Newcomb, Gary W. Ritter
Policy Briefs
In an attempt to gauge the educational progress of the nation and each state, Education Week has published state report cards since 1997 in its annual Quality Counts series. The 16th annual report - Quality Counts 2012 - was released in January. Overall, Arkansas ranked 5th among the 50 states and was one of only nine states in the U.S. that received a B. This policy brief examines Arkansas’ rank in each category of the report as well as the quality of the report itself.
Nclb Waivers, Misty Newcomb, Gary W. Ritter
Nclb Waivers, Misty Newcomb, Gary W. Ritter
Policy Briefs
No Child Left Behind, or the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, is long overdue for reauthorization. Speculation concerning when and how this controversial act would be reauthorized has occurred throughout the Obama administration. In a somewhat surprising move last week, President Obama unilaterally created rules for NCLB waivers. This policy brief provides a brief background, followed by a discussion on the new NCLB flexibility and how these changes could affect schools in Arkansas.
Raising The Kindergarten Entry Age, Misty Newcomb, Gary W. Ritter
Raising The Kindergarten Entry Age, Misty Newcomb, Gary W. Ritter
Policy Briefs
In recent years, the standards in Arkansas for entry into kindergarten underwent changes that can be difficult to understand. Across the nation, states have increased the minimum age of entry into public schools, and Arkansas is no exception. Recently, a policymaker in our state asked the OEP to look into the research surrounding the question of raising the kindergarten entry age. This policy brief discusses the new requirements as well as the impact of these requirements on families and children in the short and long term by looking at recent changes in Arkansas law and studies concerning the effect of …
When Districts Are Taken Over By The State, Nathan C. Jensen, Gary W. Ritter
When Districts Are Taken Over By The State, Nathan C. Jensen, Gary W. Ritter
Policy Briefs
Two types of state takeovers have been in the news this summer. The news extensively covered the state takeover of Helena-West Helena School District and Pulaski County Special School District due to fiscal issues. At their August meeting, State Board of Education members discussed amending the Academic Distress Rules in a manner that would more easily enable state takeovers on the basis of academic distress. This policy brief discusses the various classifications that might lead to a state takeover and the subsequent implications of such classifications. According to Arkansas law, namely The Omnibus Quality of Education Act of 2003, schools …
2011 Arkansas Benchmark Test Results: District By District Scores, Nathan C. Jensen, Gary W. Ritter
2011 Arkansas Benchmark Test Results: District By District Scores, Nathan C. Jensen, Gary W. Ritter
Policy Briefs
One day after the Arkansas Department of Education (ADE) released the results from the spring 2011 Arkansas Benchmark exams, the OEP received a call from a local constituent asking how districts in Northwest Arkansas compared to the rest of the state. Surprisingly, this type of question - often asked by educators, policymakers, researchers, parents, and concerned citizens - is not that easy to answer by simply glancing at the ADE-provided data. 1 Therefore, we put together a little policy brief to make the data more clearly understood.
Act 35, New School Performance Ratings, And School Choice, Nathan C. Jensen, Gary W. Ritter
Act 35, New School Performance Ratings, And School Choice, Nathan C. Jensen, Gary W. Ritter
Policy Briefs
Act 35 was a product of the Lakeview v Huckabee case and the related Extraordinary Legislative Session. The law § 6-15-2101 of the Arkansas code required the establishment of three school ratings: a rating of the school’s current academic performance (or status), a rating of the school’s academic improvement (see the OEP policy brief on the new improvement rating) 1 , and a rating based on the school’s fiscal practices. The first set of improvement scores were reported based on the standardized tests administered in spring of 2007 and 2008. The first ratings based on current academic performance are to …
The Case For Extended School Time In Arkansas, Nathan C. Jensen, Gary W. Ritter
The Case For Extended School Time In Arkansas, Nathan C. Jensen, Gary W. Ritter
Policy Briefs
There is growing discussion over the topic of extended learning opportunities throughout the state. For example, this past fall at the OEP conference in November, Arkansas Associctaion of Educational Administrators Director Richard Abernathy stated that additional instructional time may be needed in order to fulfill all the curricular requirements for schools. Citing the need for additional enrichment opportunities, a bill is making its way through the Arkansas Legislature to provide funding for after school and summer school programs. Additionally, and potentially of more consequence, is a bill sponsored by Senator David Johnson (D) of Little Rock to expand learning time …
Big Changes In How Students Are Tested, Nathan C. Jensen, Gary W. Ritter
Big Changes In How Students Are Tested, Nathan C. Jensen, Gary W. Ritter
Policy Briefs
For the past decade, school accountability has relied on tests for which the essential format has remained unchanged. Educators are familiar with the yearly testing routine: schools are given curriculum frameworks, teachers use the frameworks to guide instruction, students take one big test at year’s end which relies heavily upon multiple-choice bubble items, and then school leaders wait anxiously to find out whether enough of their students scored at or above proficiency to meet state standards. All this will change with the adoption of Common Core standards. Testing and accountability aren’t going away. Instead, they are developing and expanding in …
The Value Of Value-Added Measures, Nathan C. Jensen, Gary W. Ritter
The Value Of Value-Added Measures, Nathan C. Jensen, Gary W. Ritter
Policy Briefs
The concept of value-added measures of teacher or school effectiveness is prompting a great deal of discussion in K-12 Education policy circles. This debate reached a boiling point last year when the Los Angeles Times published a database of the value-added scores for all teachers in the nation's second largest school district. Proponents argue value-added measures provide important information on school and teacher effectiveness. Opponents argue value-added measures are imprecise instruments which measure student background instead of teacher or school quality. The purpose of this policy brief is to provide the reader with a general understanding of the concept of …
Quality Counts 2011, Nathan C. Jensen, Gary W. Ritter
Quality Counts 2011, Nathan C. Jensen, Gary W. Ritter
Policy Briefs
On January 11, Education Week released its 15 th annual Quality Counts report. Since 1997, Education Week has been releasing yearly report cards for each state and the nation as a whole. These report cards attempt to measure educational progress and success in several areas as well as assign an overall letter grade to each state. Some of the grades assigned in the report cards measure the strength of states’ policies, while others measure educational inputs (school funding, job markets) or outputs (K-12 achievement)
Adequate Yearly Progress In Arkansas 2009-10, Nathan C. Jensen, Gary W. Ritter
Adequate Yearly Progress In Arkansas 2009-10, Nathan C. Jensen, Gary W. Ritter
Policy Briefs
At the end of October, the Arkansas Department of Education released annual adequate yearly progress (AYP) figures for Arkansas schools. These results are based on benchmark and end-of-course test scores in math and literacy for both overall populations and subgroups within schools. They are used to determine whether a school meets state standards and, given their performance in the most recent two years, whether they are placed in the "school improvement" category
High School End-Of-Course Exams Show Proficiency Gains For 2010, Nathan C. Jensen, Gary W. Ritter
High School End-Of-Course Exams Show Proficiency Gains For 2010, Nathan C. Jensen, Gary W. Ritter
Policy Briefs
In July, the ADE released results for the 2009-10 end-ofcourse (EOC) exams given in Algebra I, Geometry, and Biology administered in April 2010. These results followed the Grade 11 Literacy results released in June. First, we present statewide 2010 results compared to last year. Second, test scores are examined across the state by districts' region, poverty level, and size. Third, we consider the performance of Arkansas students on other assessments to see if these results are consistent with EOC results.
Act 60: The Past, Present, And Future Of School Consolidation In Arkansas, Nathan C. Jensen, Gary W. Ritter
Act 60: The Past, Present, And Future Of School Consolidation In Arkansas, Nathan C. Jensen, Gary W. Ritter
Policy Briefs
Since its passage in 2004, Arkansas’ Act 60 has had a major impact on the smallest school districts in Arkansas. The law requires school districts to be consolidated if their enrollment drops below 350 for two consecutive years. This policy brief will report on the numbers and types of schools and districts that have closed since the passage of Act 60. Moreover, the brief will evaluate the enrollment trends to predict which school districts are “at-risk” of being consolidated for dropping below the 350 student threshold established by Act 60. The data for this policy brief is excerpted from a …
Test Scores Show More Students Scoring Proficient Or Advanced In 2010, Nathan C. Jensen, Gary W. Ritter
Test Scores Show More Students Scoring Proficient Or Advanced In 2010, Nathan C. Jensen, Gary W. Ritter
Policy Briefs
In mid-June, the ADE released the results of the 2009-10 standardized achievement tests, including the Arkansas Benchmark and SAT-10 exams for students in grades 3- 8 and the End-of-Course (EOC) Literacy exam for students in grade 11. The following policy brief will highlight the current performance of all Arkansas students, the performance for particular subgroups of students, and finally the changes in achievement over time.
National Standards: Following The Pendulum Of Debate, Nathan C. Jensen, Gary W. Ritter
National Standards: Following The Pendulum Of Debate, Nathan C. Jensen, Gary W. Ritter
Policy Briefs
In March, the Common Core State Standards Initiative (CCSSI) released drafts of the proposed National Standards for K-12 education in English Language Arts and Literacy, History/Social Studies, Science, and Math. The draft standards were developed in collaboration with teachers, school administrators, and experts with the goal of providing a clear and consistent framework to develop “college or career ready” students. In this draft, the authors attempt to define knowledge and skills students that high school graduates need for entry-level, credit bearing academic college courses and workforce training programs.