Smart Accountability

Overview

Arkansas has demonstrated a strong commitment to student achievement. Even after six years of implementing No Child Left Behind (NCLB), many of the state's schools are in some stage of school improvement. Some are achieving with their students across the board except in one subpopulation on one test while others are failing with students across the whole population on other tests. Arkansas will be implementing the Smart Accountability plan in the 2009-2010 school year.

The Arkansas Smart Accountability plan allows the state to better differentiate interventions and resources to schools most in need. The proposed model will distinguish among schools by applying different labels, interventions and consequences to schools appropriate to their actual school improvement status based on the 2009 Arkansas Benchmark Scores. These categories of improvement are:

  • Achieving
  • Targeted Improvement
  • Targeted Intensive Improvement
  • Whole School Improvement
  • Whole School Intensive Improvement
  • State Directed

The Arkansas Differentiated Accountability Proposal enhances and differentiates efforts mandated by state law regarding accountability and school improvement. The more significant pieces include Act 1467 of 2003 and Act 35 of the Second Extraordinary Session of 2003, which establish an educational system of accountability that includes standards, assessments, student performance, and professional development.

Act 35 of the Second Extraordinary Session of 2003 (see especially A.C.A. § 6-15-401 et seq.) creates and mandates the state's academic standards and accountability system by requiring content standards, outlining required assessments, dictating the state's accountability system which includes a "status" and a "gains" model, and outlining required professional development for teachers and administrators.

The Arkansas Department of Education (ADE) is one of nine states receiving approval from the United States Department of Education (USDE) to be part of the Differentiated Accountability Pilot. Arkansas' approved Differentiated Accountability Model, Smart Accountability, is being granted under section 9401 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB). This pilot provides ADE with the opportunity to explore ways to match school improvement research-based interventions that correlate to the academic reasons that led to a school's identification for improvement as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB). Arkansas' Smart Accountability will be a four year agreement with the USDE.

Smart Accountability Resource Guide
PDF Files Require Acrobat Reader | Download

For convenience, the resource guide is separated into sections for easy printing and placement in a three-ring binder.

Other Resources

For more information, please contact:

Dr. Laura Bednar, Assistant Commissioner
Arkansas Department of Education
Division of Learning Services
Four Capitol Mall, Room 306-B
Little Rock, AR 72201
Phone: 501-683-4800

Elbert Harvey, Statewide System of Support Coordinator
Arkansas Department of Education
Division of Learning Services
Four Capitol Mall, Room 202-B
Little Rock, AR 72201
Phone: 501-580-9753