State Board of Education Approves Cut Scores for New Statewide Assessment System

"We are extremely confident in the fidelity of the process used to establish the performance levels and cut scores," ADE Secretary Jacob Oliva said. "These state-level results reflect a new baseline of achievement. While they show we still have work to do to improve student achievement, the results better reflect the accuracy of student achievement and will guide supports needed to elevate learning to the next level."

Highlights of the System:

ATLAS includes tests for grades K-2, literacy and math screeners for grades K-3, content-specific tests for grades 3-10, and Algebra 1, Geometry, and Biology end-of-course exams.

The new system is fully aligned to the Arkansas Academic Standards, the learning expectations of what students should know by grade level and subject area, and maintains a high level of rigor in student performance similar to what is required by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), often called "The Nation's Report Card." This allows Arkansas to better identify how Arkansas students are performing compared to students across the country.

Because this new statewide system includes various levels of tests for all students, the guesswork for educators has been eliminated. Not only are the tests aligned to clear academic standards, ATLAS also lowers the burden on teachers by requiring fewer, more effective assessments from the same system throughout the year.

This single assessment system gives educators and parents access to critical data over the course of a student's academic journey, allowing them to tailor supports specifically to address learning gaps and implement targeted instruction to accelerate learning.

Educator Input:

Educator input was critical to the development of this comprehensive system. More than 3,700 educators were involved in the development, which included providing feedback on the design of the system, revising the academic standards, approving test items, and providing recommended cut scores. More than 500 educators reviewed and approved test items that were included on the new assessment, and 200 educators participated in the standard setting process led by national experts to determine recommended cut scores. This comprehensive review by critical stakeholders ensures the cut scores are rigorous, fair, and truly measure student learning based on the academic standards.

Next Steps:

The department anticipates releasing grade-level and school-level scores before November 1.

Resources:

More information regarding the ATLAS assessments is available at https://dese.link/ATLAS. Resources include testimonials from educators and experts involved in the development of the new assessment system. Information also is available in the ATLAS portal at https://atlasportal.org/.

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