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Articles 1 - 11 of 11
Full-Text Articles in Law
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.
How Did Arkansas Fare In The Race To The Top?, Nathan C. Jensen, Gary W. Ritter
How Did Arkansas Fare In The Race To The Top?, Nathan C. Jensen, Gary W. Ritter
Policy Briefs
In late March, the winners for Round 1 of the federal Race to the Top (RttT) were announced. The competitive grant funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment (ARRA) was described in more detail in an OEP policy brief posted here . In January, Arkansas joined 40 other states in submitting an application. When the finalists were announced, Arkansas was ranked 17th and just missed the cut! In this policy brief, we provide a brief overview of how the Arkansas application fared and what our state leaders could do to increase our chances for Round Two.
Reauthorizing No Child Left Behind: The Obama Blueprint, Nathan C. Jensen, Gary W. Ritter
Reauthorizing No Child Left Behind: The Obama Blueprint, Nathan C. Jensen, Gary W. Ritter
Policy Briefs
Almost 45 years ago to this day, the federal government enacted the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) on April 11, 1965. The Act, which provided funds for professional development, instructional materials, resources to support educational programs, and promoted parental involvement in primary and secondary education, has been reauthorized about every five years since its enactment. The current version, known more commonly as the No Child Left Behind Act, is now up for reauthorization. The following policy brief will describe the development of the Act into its current form, discuss the major components of No Child Left Behind, and highlight …
2009 Naep Reading Results, Nathan C. Jensen, Gary W. Ritter
2009 Naep Reading Results, Nathan C. Jensen, Gary W. Ritter
Policy Briefs
The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), also known as “the Nation’s Report Card,” is a national assessment of what students in each state know in various subjects. The grade 4 and 8 mathematics and reading portions of the NAEP were administered in 2009. We highlighted the math results, which were released last fall, in the 2009 Arkansas Report Card (http://www.uark.edu/ua/oep/report_cards/2009_Report Card.pdf). The 2009 reading scores were released at the end of March, 2010. This policy brief highlights the recent NAEP reading results and demonstrates, bluntly, that growth has stagnated both in the U.S. and Arkansas.
Algebra For All?, Nathan C. Jensen, Gary W. Ritter
Algebra For All?, Nathan C. Jensen, Gary W. Ritter
Policy Briefs
In Arkansas, students graduate from high school at a relatively high rate – 72% versus the national rate of 69%. However, according to the ACT, only 35% of Arkansas graduates are ready for college-level work (based on Arkansas’ College Readiness Benchmark Scores). Our state's rate of completion from college also ranks below the national average (See Table 3.5 in OEP’s report card here). There is a strong correlation between the successful completion of an algebra course and readiness for college-level work. Because of this, there has been a great deal of interest recently in the question of whether educators in …
Quality Counts 2010: Arkansas Holds Steady, Nathan C. Jensen, Gary W. Ritter
Quality Counts 2010: Arkansas Holds Steady, Nathan C. Jensen, 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 14th annual report - Quality Counts 2010 - was released in January. Four of the six categories (Chance for Success, School Finance, The Teaching Profession, and Standards, Assessment and Accountability) were updated to reflect the most current (2010) data. Arkansas received the highest possible grade (A) in the Standards, Assessments & Accountability category, receiving perfect scores in the subcategories for Standards and School Accountability. Similarly, Arkansas' grade for Transitions and …
Charter School Review In Arkansas And Across The Nation, Nathan C. Jensen, Gary W. Ritter
Charter School Review In Arkansas And Across The Nation, Nathan C. Jensen, Gary W. Ritter
Policy Briefs
At the most recent State Board of Education meeting, State Education Commissioner Tom Kimbrell addressed the need for more monitoring of charter schools to ensure that these schools meet their stated goals, including the types of students they intend to serve and the scope of the schools’ curricula. Additionally, he noted that the current process for reviewing applications for charter schools is inadequate, and acknowledged the need for a more systematic review process. As a result, Dr. Kimbrell reported that the state is planning to create a charter review council that will serve two important functions: reviewing charter applications prior …