LITTLE ROCK — The Arkansas Department of Education released school and district results from the first administration of the Arkansas Teaching, Learning, and Assessment System (ATLAS), which replaced ACT Aspire, the previous assessment. Students took the new ATLAS assessments in the spring, and for the first time ever, parents will soon have access to their child’s scores through the parent portal and can begin conversations with their child’s educators regarding supports to elevate learning.
Because ATLAS is new, the results serve as a new baseline for measuring student learning in Arkansas and should not be compared to results from different assessments administered in the past.
“As we complete the release of ATLAS test data, we are very confident in the new system and know that the results accurately reflect student achievement in Arkansas,” ADE Secretary Jacob Oliva said. “From revising academic standards to writing test items to assisting with setting cut scores, the ATLAS system was built by Arkansas teachers for Arkansas students. Now that we have results, parents and educators can begin having conversations about needed supports to elevate learning across all levels.”
ATLAS includes tests for grades Kindergarten through high school, including literacy and math screeners for grades K-3, and end-of-course exams for Algebra 1, Geometry, and Biology that are fully aligned to the Arkansas Academic Standards, or learning expectations of what students should know by grade level and subject area. The descriptors below define the expectation for students at each level.
Level 4: Students demonstrate an advanced understanding.
Level 3: Students demonstrate a proficient understanding.
Level 2: Students demonstrate a basic understanding.
Level 1: Students demonstrate a limited understanding.
Now that schools have their test results, the following efforts will be prioritized: —Individualized reading plans will be created for every student in grades K-2 who are at risk of reading difficulties.
— Individualized math plans will be provided for every student in grades 3-8 who scored level 1 in math.
— Students will have increased access to high-impact math and reading tutoring programs available at https://dese.link/tutoring.
— A system for acceleration will be developed to support and provide additional learning opportunities for advanced students.
ATLAS results are available on the department’s My School Info website at https://myschoolinfo. arkansas.gov/, as well as https://dese. link/2024TestScores.
