Springdale outlines interventions as Arkansas Learns Act could leave hundreds of third-graders behind

A district staff member told the Springdale School Board on Sept. 9 that changes required by the Arkansas Learns Act and the revised Arkansas Right to Read Act mean third-graders who do not meet the state'defined minimum reading standard may not be promoted to fourth grade.

The presentation said the third-grade decision will be made using the ATLAS ELA score (a combined reading and writing measure), not the separate ATLAS reading score, and that method produces cases where a student’s reading score would meet the standard while the combined ELA score would not. The staff member called that discrepancy confusing and said the state has told districts to use the ELA score for promotion decisions.

District officials said the law requires explicit, documented interventions for any student promoted under a good-cause exemption or retained. Those requirements include placement with a highly…