Pine Bluff leaders outline third-grade literacy readiness plan as LEARNS Act rules approach

PINE BLUFF, Ark. — Pine Bluff School District officials presented a readiness plan for third-grade literacy on the school board agenda, explaining how local assessment data and expanded interventions will be used to identify and support students who could be subject to retention rules under the LEARNS Act.

Superintendent Barbee summarized the state requirement and how the district plans to respond. She read a portion of the LEARNS Act and said the statute requires “for each student who does not meet the reading standard established by the state board by the end of third grade … the public school district … shall” provide specified supports. She added that, based on current guidance, “any student in third grade that scores on a level 1, they would be considered those students that do not meet that readiness level.”

District staff described how existing local tools will feed the plan. Assistant Superintendent Philip Carlock and testing staff explained the district’s District Common Formative Assessment (DCFA) and ATLAS summative data feed into intervention decisions. Miss Rawls and other staff said the DCFA is cumulative and is being used to place students into intervention (“win”) groups in kindergarten through third grade and to guide next year’s pacing and priority standards.

The district said it is using evidence-based literacy materials and training already purchased — specifically the 95% Group interventions — and that teachers received in-class coaching this year. The superintendent and staff emphasized that the district is planning for three tiers of instruction: core instruction, small-group instruction and intensive individualized support, and that staff will monitor progress and adjust interventions when students do not respond.

Officials also described additional preparatory work: school-level scheduling to ensure a 90-minute literacy block in third and fourth grade, training for principals and teachers on “good cause” exemptions and alternative pathways, and participation by a district administrator on a state committee creating a “read at home” plan to be shared with families.

Board members asked for clarification about retention length; the superintendent responded that retention would be for the full grade unless an exemption is documented or the student is placed with a highly effective literacy teacher who could prevent retention. Staff repeatedly noted that the district’s goal is to reduce retention through targeted supports rather than rely on retention as the single remedy.

The board later approved contracts for district professional development — including two 95% Group workshops and Capturing Kids’ Hearts year-two training — during the business portion of the meeting (see “Votes at a glance”). Those purchases, staff said, are intended to expand teacher coaching and ensure consistent implementation of the district’s reading interventions.

Why it matters: The LEARNS Act imposes new state requirements tied to third-grade reading outcomes; local rules about exemptions, documentation and required parental communications are still being developed by the state. Pine Bluff officials told the board they are using existing assessment systems and new training to identify students early, place them in targeted interventions and meet the 90-minute instruction requirement for students who score at the lowest level on state assessments.

The superintendent and staff said the district will continue to refine placement and progress monitoring over the summer and into the 2025–26 school year as the state finalizes administrative rules.