Educators face a constant challenge to stay informed about the latest federal and state laws, rules and regulations from the Arkansas Department of Education, and the requirements for state and organizational accreditation.   

How do we accomplish our goal of a quality education for ALL students within the context of the law, the rules we are required to follow, the resources (both human and financial) that are available, and the amount of time we have?

No Child Left Behind

The No Child Left Behind Act is broad federal legislation that drastically changes the commitment and focus of public schools throughout the country. This link on the Arkansas Department of Education's Web site is designed to provide school administrators, teachers, paraprofessionals, parents and interested citizens with a constantly updated link to the latest information on Arkansas' ongoing efforts to fully implement this important piece of federal law. 

• No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 - PDF                                   WARNING: This is a very large file, 670 pages to be exact!

The Student Assessment and Educational Accountability Act (Arkansas Act 35)    Click for copy...

The purpose of Act 35 is to provide transparent, easy-to-understand information needed to improve Arkansas schools.  The law requires schools to measure the gains in learning that students make from one year to the next.

 [PDF] Layout 1     ARKANSAS EDUCATION INFORMATION

 ACT 35 outlines specific requirements in the following areas:

* Arkansas Law        
* Program Implementation
* Assessments
* Public Reporting
* Professional Development
* Technical Assistance
* Student Remediation & Retention
* Data Gathering and Access
* Rewards and Sanctions
* School Choice
* Financial Management Practices

Rules and Regulations: 

If you go the Arkansas Department of Education web site you will find a drop down box on the left-hand side of the home page called RULES.  You want to select CURRENT RULES.  Here you will find all the rules adopted by the Arkansas State Board of Education.  The rules are organized alphabetically by subject, and are posted as either a PDF or HTML file.  The date listed next to each rule indicates the date the rule was given final approval by the Arkansas State Board of Education.

As you can see, there are many state rules and regulations. One of the primary documents educators need to be familiar with is Rules Governing the Arkansas Comprehensive Testing, Assessment and Accountability Program and the Academic Distress Program. (Click for copy)   It is within this document we find information about many of the day-to-day issues we face:

Academic Content Standards (4.0)
Arkansas Comprehensive Assessment Program (5.0)
Student Performance Levels (6.0)
Student Accountability (7.0)
School Accountability (8.0)
Accountability (9.0)
School District Accountability (10.0)
State Board of Education Authority (11.0)
School Choice and Academic Distress (12.0) 

Frequently Asked Questions About Curriculum & Instruction

The following document has been prepared as a quick reference for many of the most common questions about curriculum & instruction. 

CLICK HERE FOR FAQ...

 Time

Ask any educator and you will hear that "time" is our most critical factor! So much to do, so little time!  Our challenge is to use every minute of the time we have, efficiently and effectively, to meet the diverse needs of our students.

There are numerous  rules and regulations about time.     

                     CLICK HERE FOR TIME INFO SHEET...

 Accountability

Internal Monitoring

District Expectations clearly defined and monitored 

Classroom Walkthroughs conducted regularly

Peer Observations & Coaching

Mentoring

Personnel Evaluation

Building Curriculum Audits

District Monitoring System 

External Monitoring

Standards & Assurance  (Rules for Accreditation...)

Arkansas Scholastic Audit

AdvancED (North Central) Accreditation

Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP)