Arkansas Department of Education

Arkansas Department of Education
source
Agency name	Arkansas Department of Education
Jurisdiction	Arkansas General Assembly, Governor of Arkansas
Headquarters	Little Rock, Arkansas

Arkansas Department of Education. The Arkansas Department of Education is a state agency responsible for overseeing public education in Arkansas, working closely with the United States Department of Education, National Education Association, and American Federation of Teachers. The department is headed by the Commissioner of Education, who is appointed by the Governor of Arkansas, and is advised by the Arkansas State Board of Education, which includes members such as Johnny Key and Diane Zook. The department's work is informed by research from institutions like Harvard University, Stanford University, and the National Center for Education Statistics.

● Overview

The Arkansas Department of Education provides support to school districts across the state, including Little Rock School District, Fort Smith Public Schools, and Springdale Public Schools, to ensure that all students have access to a high-quality education. The department works with universities such as University of Arkansas, Arkansas State University, and University of Central Arkansas to develop and implement teacher education programs, and collaborates with organizations like the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics and the International Reading Association. The department also partners with businesses like Walmart, Tyson Foods, and J.B. Hunt Transport Services to provide career and technical education opportunities for students. Additionally, the department works with non-profit organizations such as the Arkansas Community Foundation and the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation to support education reform initiatives.

● History

The Arkansas Department of Education was established in 1931, with the appointment of the first Commissioner of Education, Terrel E. Powell, who worked closely with Governor of Arkansas Harvey Parnell and United States Secretary of Education John W. Studebaker. Over the years, the department has undergone several reorganizations, including the creation of the Arkansas State Board of Education in 1949, which has included members such as Orval Faubus and Winthrop Rockefeller. The department has also been influenced by major education reform efforts, such as the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, signed into law by President George W. Bush, and the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015, signed into law by President Barack Obama. The department has worked with education leaders like Diane Ravitch and Linda Darling-Hammond to implement these reforms.

● Organization

The Arkansas Department of Education is organized into several divisions, including the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education, the Division of Higher Education, and the Division of Career and Technical Education. The department is also supported by the Arkansas Department of Higher Education, which oversees higher education in the state, and works closely with colleges and universities such as University of Arkansas at Little Rock and Arkansas Tech University. The department's staff includes educators like Deborah Loewenberg Ball and David C. Berliner, as well as policy analysts who work with organizations like the National Conference of State Legislatures and the Education Commission of the States. The department is headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas, and has regional offices in Fort Smith, Arkansas, Springdale, Arkansas, and Jonesboro, Arkansas.

● Responsibilities

The Arkansas Department of Education is responsible for a wide range of activities, including developing and implementing curriculum standards for public schools, such as the Common Core State Standards Initiative, and providing support for teacher professional development, in partnership with organizations like the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards and the Teach For America. The department also oversees the administration of state assessments, such as the ACT and the SAT, and works with school districts to develop and implement school improvement plans, using data from sources like the National Assessment of Educational Progress and the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009. Additionally, the department provides support for special education programs, in collaboration with organizations like the Council for Exceptional Children and the National Association of School Psychologists.

● Initiatives

The Arkansas Department of Education has launched several initiatives in recent years, including the Arkansas Ready for Learning initiative, which aims to improve early childhood education outcomes, in partnership with organizations like the National Association for the Education of Young Children and the Zero to Three. The department has also launched the Computer Science Initiative, which aims to increase access to computer science education for all students, and has worked with tech companies like Google and Microsoft to develop curriculum materials. The department has also partnered with non-profit organizations like the Arkansas STEM Coalition and the National Math and Science Initiative to support science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education.

● Accountability

The Arkansas Department of Education is accountable to the Arkansas General Assembly and the Governor of Arkansas for its activities, and is required to submit regular reports on its progress, using data from sources like the National Center for Education Statistics and the Education Week. The department is also subject to oversight by the Arkansas State Board of Education, which includes members such as Johnny Key and Diane Zook, and is advised by education experts like Linda Darling-Hammond and Diane Ravitch. The department's accountability measures include school report cards, which provide information on school performance, and teacher evaluation systems, which aim to improve teacher quality, using frameworks like the Danielson Framework and the Marzano Framework. The department also works with organizations like the National Association of Elementary School Principals and the National Association of Secondary School Principals to support school leadership development. Category:State departments of education in the United States