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Bentonville schools outline how Arkansas "merit" and "distinction" diplomas will affect students and scholarships
Summary
District staff explained evolving state rules that tie new "merit" and "distinction" diploma designations to the state accountability formula and to scholarship eligibility, listing qualifying pathways (college credit, AP/IB, certifications, enlistment) and noting timing and data-reporting limits.
Doctor Morrow told the Bentonville School District board that guidance on Arkansas "merit" and "distinction" diplomas is still developing but already affects school accountability and scholarship eligibility. He said the designations account for 1/9 of a high school’s state report-card score and that, for the class of 2024, the state awarded points where students had one of a small set of indicators: "They either had 2 classes in a higher wage, high demand pathway, or they had 3 college classes, or they had 3 AP classes, or 3 IB classes, or a seal of biliteracy," he said.
Morrow emphasized the…
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