Rules Governing the Public School Rating System on Annual School Performance Reports and the School Recognition Program, 6 CAR pt. 64

The Department of Education, Division of Elementary and Secondary Education, proposes its Rules Governing the Public School Rating System on Annual School Performance Reports and the School Recognition Program. Purpose Pursuant to Act 474 of 2025, the Department is required to establish a new accountability system pursuant to rulemaking authority established in Arkansas Code Annotated § 6-15-2106. This rule will ensure improvements are made to the accountability system to better agency priority and the LEARNS Act’s goals of improving k-12 education in Arkansas. Key Points • Updates the rule governing school ratings to set defined parameters with technical minutiae removed consistent with the Code of Arkansas Rules style. 1 Pursuant to Act 237 of 2023, § 58, the administration of programs funded through Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act that were previously overseen by the Division of Child Care and Early Childhood Education within the Department of Human Services was transferred to the Office of Early Childhood within the Department of Education. See also Act 237 of 2023, § 71. 4 • Updates the rule to reflect the combination of the Arkansas School for the Blind and the Arkansas School for the Deaf and Hearing Impaired to the Arkansas School for the Deaf and Blind. • Complies with the statutory requirements and allows the division to better tailor the rating system to ensure fair and accurate information to Arkansans regarding the state of Arkansas Schools. Discussion This rule is promulgated to allow the agency to comply with Act 474 of 2025, which requires that the ADE establish an accountability system for public schools. In addition, rulemaking will allow important updates to the school rating system to better reflect the relative academic growth and achievement in Arkansas Schools.

A public hearing was held on May 22, 2025. The period closed on June 10, 2025. The agency provided the following summary of public comments: Commentor Name: Dr. Nancy Churchwell, Chief Financial Officer, Newport School District COMMENTS: Good morning. For Title 6. Education Chapter I. Division of Elementary and Secondary Education Subchapter C. Educational Quality, Standards, and Assessment Part 64. Rules Governing the Public School Rating System on Annual School Performance Reports and the School Recognition Program Subpart 1. Generally, 6 CAR § 64-102. School rating system. Item 2) (2) The Division shall implement an “Automatic Grading Scale Increase” in any year in which 65 percent or more of the school statewide aggregate earn a grade of A or B, and raise the scale required to earn a school grade by five percent until the scale reaches 90-100 = A, 80-89 = B, 70-79 = C, 60-69 = D, and 0-59 = F. This section sets 59% of school districts up for receiving a grade of F and another 10% of districts to receive a grade of D. When giving a test in a classroom, you do not grade based on rank, you give a grade based on individual performance on each item. This automatic grading scale incr

• Rule packet: E.3.b DOE DESE Rules Governing the Public School Rating System and Act 474 of 2025
• ALC summary agenda Aug 14, 2025
• ALC agenda Aug 14, 2025
• ALC meeting video Aug 14, 2025
• Arkansas Register, September 2025