ADE Briefs

Little Rock Urban Collegiate Public Charter (UCOC) School for Young Men’s application for a charter from the State Board of Education was approved with the stipulation that 80 percent of the enrollment be filled by students who are either free- and reduced-lunch students or who are performing below proficient on the State’s Benchmark exams. The [...]

EAST® students score better on most Arkansas’s benchmark, end-of-course and norm-referenced exams, a recent study found. The results were reported to the State Board of Education today. EAST®began over thirteen years ago in a single rural Arkansas classroom with a belief that students can play a vital role in their communities, and in directing their [...]

The Arkansas State Board of Education recognized a number of educators at the beginning of the December board meeting today: 2010 Arkansas Superintendent of the Year Matt McClure of Cross County School District; 2008 Presidential Awardee for Excellence (K-6 Mathematics) Monica Norwood, Romine Interdistrict Elementary School, Little Rock School District; 2009 Presidential Award State Finalist [...]

A total of 22 action items will fill the Arkansas State Board of Education’s slate on Monday when it meets at the Arkansas Department of Education for its regular December meeting. In addition to the continuation of a charter school application hearing for Little Rock Urban Collegiate Public Charter School for Young Men, the State [...]

Arkansas Education Commissioner Dr. Tom Kimbrell challenged school board members from across the state to change the way they do business by using data to drive policy-level decisions that would increase student achievement in their school districts. Kimbrell addressed a packed ballroom this morning at the Arkansas School Boards Association annual meeting at The Peabody [...]

The Arkansas Department of Education joins the many Arkansans who are mourning the loss of former Senator Jodie Mahony, a true friend to public education. Many of the recent reforms for which Arkansas has received so much recognition are a direct result of the great knowledge, energy and political talent of Senator Mahony. Perhaps most [...]

So far the response has been great at the Race to the Top meetings hosted by ADE in Jonesboro, Arkadelphia and Farmington. Combined attendance at those three meetings is near 200 people. Several common themes have emerged so far in what should be included in Arkansas’s application to the U.S. Department of Education for the [...]

Congrats to the Arkansas school teachers receiving awards today from Economic Arkansas at the annual Bessie B. Moore Arkansas Awards Luncheon at Chenal Valley Country Club in Little Rock. Eighteen teachers were recognized for teaching economics through innovative lessons and projects. Today’s awardees were: Paula Benton, Riverview-Judsonia Elementary School Loretta Burgess, Greenbrier High School Tonya [...]

The Center on Education Policy released a report today showing that most states plan to support new federal priorities for education in the economic stimulus package, including adopting common core standards and applying for Race to the Top funding. Arkansas included these four pillars of priorities — preparing college- and career-ready students, creating and using [...]

The Arkansas Department of Education sends happy congratulations to Cross County School District Superintendent Dr. Matt McClure, who learned in a surprise announcement this week that the Arkansas Association of School Administrators had named him 2010 Superintendent of the Year. Posted by JJT.