Little Rock, Arkansas – For the first time since a major overhaul to the grading system, every public school in Arkansas received an official letter grade on Friday, marking a new era of transparency in the state’s educational evaluation process. The updated grading system was implemented after school officials raised concerns that the previous formula was overly complicated and unclear.
“Leaders didn’t have confidence that the A through F system reflected the learning that was happening in the school,” Arkansas Secretary of Education Jacob Oliva said, explaining why changes were necessary. The revised formula aims to give families, educators, and administrators a clearer picture of student achievement, growth, and readiness for life after graduation.
Under the new methodology, each school is scored out of a possible 900 points. While the thresholds for each letter grade vary slightly for elementary, middle, and high schools, generally a score slightly above 500 earns an A, roughly 450 points corresponds to a B, and lower totals fall into the remaining letter grade categories.
“We pull in experts and expert educators from all over the state to help us write and determine what those appropriate cut scores and levels are,” Oliva explained. This year, 122 schools achieved an A, while 130 schools received an F. The remaining 780 schools earned grades ranging from B to D.
The breakdown of how each school earns its score is designed to balance proficiency with growth, and to highlight areas that need attention. For elementary and middle schools, the nine categories are grouped in threes. The first three categories measure the percentage of students proficient in Math, Science, and English Language Arts, based on ATLAS test scores.
The next three categories focus on whether students meet expected growth benchmarks in these subjects. “We have a formula,” Oliva said. “A methodology that calculates an individual’s unique learning profile and says, ‘A year’s worth of growth for this student should be here.’”
The final three categories are also based on growth but specifically track the progress of the bottom 25% of students from the previous year. “We want to make sure that the teachers have the resources they need,” Oliva said, “And the schools have the resources and support they need, so that we can ensure that our most vulnerable students are progressing each and every single year.”
High school grading follows a similar pattern, though the categories are slightly adjusted to account for the different priorities at the secondary level. Proficiency and growth in Math, Science, and English Language Arts remain critical, but the bottom 25% requirement is combined into a single category. High school grades also incorporate the percentage of students who graduate and a “student readiness” category.
The student readiness measure looks beyond graduation rates, evaluating whether students are prepared for life after high school. It considers diploma attainment, advanced course enrollment, industry certifications, potential military enlistment, and other indicators. “We want to make sure that every student who graduates from high school in Arkansas is ready to be enlisted, enrolled, or employed,” Oliva said.
Oliva emphasized that while letter grades provide a snapshot of school performance, improvement and growth are equally important. “If you see a school that may have a lower letter grade, but kids are learning and improvement is moving in the right direction, that’s a positive sign that I would share with any family,” he said.
School superintendents were provided their grades earlier this week, giving them the opportunity to appeal if needed. While the public release includes nearly all schools, a few grades remain under review. Families can access the full list of statewide school grades on the Arkansas Department of Education’s website.
Education experts say that the new system represents a significant step forward in accountability and transparency. By balancing student proficiency with growth and readiness, Arkansas aims to provide a more nuanced understanding of school performance, helping parents make informed decisions and guiding administrators in targeting resources where they are needed most.
With this inaugural release under the new system, the state hopes to encourage continued improvement and to ensure that every Arkansas student has the opportunity to succeed academically and beyond.
