Analyzing the Success of Arkansas’s Charter Schools: Unfulfilled Promises
An analysis of Arkansas benchmark test scores from the 2008-09 academic year shows that open enrollment charter schools score better than their peer public schools on standardized tests, but that this success is driven by the distinct demographic characteristics of the charters rather than being attributable to any advantage of educational strategy. Arkansas open enrollment charter schools, on average, have student populations that have fewer children of color and substantially fewer low-income children than their peer traditional public schools. Once these factors are controlled, Arkansas’s charter schools do not outperform their traditional school peers.
What is Arkansas Doing to Close the Achievement Gap?
Arkansas has done some great things in recent years to improve education for our children. However, there is much more to do. Those who have worked hard to reform Arkansas’s education system in this decade cannot rest on their laurels. In this study, we have suggested several directions, some familiar and some new, to build on our recent successes. We hope this study will generate discussion and action among policymakers, parents, and citizens who are interested in improving educational outcomes for all children, regardless of their income, race, or geographic location.
¿Qué esta Haciendo Arkansas para Eliminar Diferencias en Logros Academicos?
En años recientes, Arkansas ha implementado buenas estrategias para mejorar la educación de nuestros hijos. Sin embargo, hay mucho más por hacer. Aquellos que han trabajado arduamente para reformar el sistema educativo de Arkansas en esta década no pueden sentarse a descansar en sus laureles. En este estudio, hemos hecho varias sugerencias, algunas son conocidas y otras nuevas, para continuar el avance de éxitos recientes. Esperamos que este estudio genere discusión y acción entre los legisladores, padres de familia, y ciudadanos interesados en mejorar los resultados de educación para todos los niños, sin importar sus recursos, raza, ubicación geográfica.
The Arkansas Achievement Gap: Unequal Opportunities
Every child in Arkansas should have the same opportunity to excel in school regardless of their race, class, culture or location. Sadly, this is not currently the case. This report is a summary of available data highlighting the severity of the achievement gap in Arkansas schools.
This report is intended to spur an informed dialogue on the achievement gap in Arkansas. It provides documentation of the problems, but does not offer concrete policy reforms to solve the gap. This report recommends significant study of the achievement gap causes and solutions; and calls for much more dialogue between community members and policy makers about these problems.
Lake View Case Friend of the Court Brief
The Court in Lake View v. Huckabee ruling laid out in compelling fashion its jurisdiction and reasoning for finding the Arkansas school system unconstitutionally unsound on the grounds of both adequacy and equity. We applaud the Courts decision and return to request full implementation of the ruling.