6 CAR Part 64 — Rules Governing the Public School Rating System on Annual School Performance Reports and the School Recognition Program

Chapter I

Subchapter C

Subpart 1

6 CAR § 64-101 Purpose {#sec-6-car-64-101 omnilex-key=us-ar-regs-official--title-6-part-64--6 CAR § 64-101}

6 CAR § 64-101. Purpose.

The purpose of this part is to:

(1) Establish the school rating system and designate school performance category levels or ratings pursuant to Arkansas Code §§ 6-15-2105 and 6-15-2106; and

(2) Provide financial awards to public schools that experience high student performance and those with high student academic growth in accordance with Arkansas Code § 6-15-2107.

6 CAR § 64-102 School rating system {#sec-6-car-64-102 omnilex-key=us-ar-regs-official--title-6-part-64--6 CAR § 64-102}

6 CAR § 64-102. School rating system.

(a) Each public school will receive a performance category level designation or rating, hereafter collectively referred to as “rating”, of “A”, “B”, “C”, “D”, or “F” as described in Appendix A.

(b) The Division of Elementary and Secondary Education shall assign the annual public school rating under this section using the following indicators for each designated grade span based on the grade configurations of the school:

(1) In elementary and middle schools, the following indicators shall be used without limitation:

(A) The percent of students meeting proficiency or exceeding proficiency on state summative exams in ELA, math, and science;

(B) The percent of students meeting or exceeding individual growth score in ELA, math, and science; and

(C) The percent of students meeting or exceeding his or her individual growth in the lowest twenty-five percent (25%) of achievement on the previous state summative exams in ELA, math, and science; and

(2) In high schools, the following indicators shall be used without limitation:

(A) The percent of students meeting or exceeding proficiency on state summative exams in ELA, math, and science;

(B) The percent of students meeting or exceeding his or her individual growth score in ELA, math, and science;

(C) The percent of students meeting individual growth in the lowest twenty-five percent (25%) of achievement on the previous state summative exams in ELA, math, and science combined;

(D) The four-year graduation rate; and

(E) The number of students earning a diploma of merit or distinction that leads to enrollment, enlistment, or employment.

(c) For a school that does not have a complete data set due to grade configuration or the number of students per grade, the use of feeder school data, pairing, or proportional cuts may be used to assign a school rating.

(d) The Division of Elementary and Secondary Education shall publish the annual Public School Rating Business Rules used to assign school ratings on the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education’s website.

(e)(1) The Division of Elementary and Secondary Education shall recommend cut scores for each rating to the State Board of Education.

(2) The Division of Elementary and Secondary Education shall implement an “Automatic Grading Scale Increase” in any year in which sixty-five percent (65%) or more of the school statewide aggregate earn a grade of A or B, and raise the scale required to earn a school grade by five percent (5%) until the scale reaches 90 – 100 = A, 80 – 89 = B, 70 – 79 = C, 60 – 69 = D, and 0 – 59 = F.

(f) The Division of Elementary and Secondary Education shall engage stakeholder groups in the school rating process and utilize feedback from the stakeholder groups to make a final recommendation to the state board for the total score range for each rating.

(g) If a school district has an alternative learning environment (ALE) or an alternative education (AE) program and the ALE or AE has a local education agency (LEA) number, the school district shall, for purposes of a rating pursuant to this part only, include the ALE or AE students in their respective area schools.

(h) Each school’s rating shall be included in the annual school performance report, which shall be posted on the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education’s and school districts’ websites.

(i) The following entities shall be exempt from receiving a school rating:

(1) An open-enrollment public charter school whose mission and enrollment are primarily focused on students who:

(A) Have dropped out of high school; or

(B) Are identified as at risk of dropping out of school;

(2) A conversion public charter school whose mission and enrollment are primarily focused on students who:

(A) Have dropped out of high school; or

(B) Are identified as at risk of dropping out of school;

(3) An adult charter school serving students aged nineteen (19) or older;

(4) The Arkansas School for the Deaf and Blind; and

(5) The Division of Youth Services’ system of education.

History

• Codification Notes: "ELA" means English language arts.Appendix A, School Rating System, to this part was repealed by Ark. R. 2025-12 (eff. September 5, 2025). History: Ark. R. 2025-12 (eff. September 5, 2025) Authorities: Arkansas Code § 6-11-105; Arkansas Code § 6-15-2106; Arkansas Code § 6-15-2108

6 CAR § 64-103 Arkansas School Recognition Program {#sec-6-car-64-103 omnilex-key=us-ar-regs-official--title-6-part-64--6 CAR § 64-103}

6 CAR § 64-103. Arkansas School Recognition Program.

(a) Pursuant to Arkansas Code § 6-15-2107, public schools that experience high student performance and those with high student academic growth shall be eligible for the Arkansas School Recognition Program.

(1) For purposes of the Arkansas School Recognition Program, student performance in overall achievement will be calculated using percent of students meeting proficiency in ELA, math, and science as described in the annual Public School Rating Business Rules.

(2) Schools recognized for overall achievement shall have a school-wide value-added score that meets or exceeds expected growth to qualify for the Arkansas School Recognition Program.

(b) Recognition will be determined based on the ranking of schools by grade span and the total score for the achievement indicator.

(c) Student academic growth shall be determined by using school value-added scores that will be calculated using the state’s value-added formula as described in the annual Public School Rating Business Rules.

(d) Recognition for high student academic growth will be determined based on the ranking of the school value-added score of all schools by grade span.

(e) For a school without a complete data set, recognition will be based on the rank of the school value-added score of the school with the tested grade levels that is paired with the feeder school within a district.

History

• Codification Notes: "ELA" means English language arts. History: Ark. R. 2025-12 (eff. September 5, 2025) Authorities: Arkansas Code § 6-11-105; Arkansas Code § 6-15-2106; Arkansas Code § 6-15-2107; Arkansas Code § 6-15-2108

6 CAR pt. 64, Appendix A School Rating System {#sec-6-car-pt.-64-appendix-a omnilex-key=us-ar-regs-official--title-6-part-64--6 CAR pt. 64, Appendix A}

Codification Notes: Appendix A, School Rating System, to this part was repealed by Ark. R. 2025-12 (eff. September 5, 2025).