ARKANSAS, USA — For the past seven years, the ACT Aspire test has been the standard for Arkansas students. Starting next school year 3rd through 10th graders will be taking a new test.
“To assess and measure whether or not students are learning what we expect them to learn,” said Arkansas Secretary of Education, Jacob Oliva.
That's the goal of The Arkansas Teaching and Learning Assessment System or Atlas, set to roll out in the Spring of 2024.
“That's going to measure student performance in English language arts, math, and science in grades three through ten," he added.
Oliva explained how this standardized test will align with the state’s new education standards laid out in the LEARNS Act.
“We're moving away from a college and career readiness assessment into what we call a criterion-referenced assessment,” said Oliva.
On Tuesday, the Lonoke School District got a closer look at what this test will look like.
“It kind of gave us some insight to some of the things they're going to put the blueprints out on the state website this week, and we'll go forward with whatever they set in place as it rolls out,” said Lonoke School District Curriculum Director, Melissa Edwards.
She also said the biggest difference between Atlas and ACT Aspire is the adaptability the new plan provides during testing.
“The algorithm sets up a question that is in that algorithm, or grade level, it'll spit it out and they'll say this kid get this got this right, so they'll give them another one that's harder,” explained Edwards. “And then they're doing another one, that's harder, if they continue to get them right. If they get them wrong, then it starts moving them back down to it.”
Edwards believes this will give teachers a better idea of where their students stand, in real time.
"I’m looking forward to it. I think that we're on the right path,” she added.
The district plans to have grade-level meetings this summer to look at blueprints provided by state education leaders as well as practice tests. All in an effort to make sure their curriculum is ready to go for students.
"When you're talking about improving student learning and outcomes. We have to act with urgency, we know that we can do better as a state,” said Oliva.