Superintendent reviews annual report and new ATLAS state assessment; district plans to reduce redundant testing

Superintendent Debbie Jones presented the Bentonville School District annual report on Dec. 17 and walked the board through the state’s new ATLAS assessment, how it differs from the replaced ACT Aspire test, and how the district is using multiple assessment tools during the transition.

Jones said ATLAS aligns more directly with classroom standards and that the state is still setting cut scores for the first ATLAS administration. She noted issues encountered in a first administration—technical problems and long interim forms for some grades—and said the Arkansas Department of Education has already pulled K–2 interim administrations that were judged excessively long.

The superintendent told parents and board members the most practical step now is to use the ATLAS parent portal to view student performance and follow suggested next steps. Jones said the district will establish committees of teachers to evaluate interims and MAP (Measures of Academic Progress) and that the district intends to reduce redundant interim testing next year; “we are gonna move away from them,” she said, referring to one set of interim assessments.

Jones emphasized that the district will continue other measures of progress (MAP, AP, coursework) and that school profile pages and the assessment calendar on the district website link to the ATLAS portal and resources for families.

Board members asked about comparability with other states; Jones said ATLAS is not yet nationally comparable but the state is working on compatibility measures. The board did not vote on assessment policy at this meeting; staff said they will return with committee recommendations.