LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (April 14, 2016) — On Thursday, the State Board of Education approved the Arkansas Mathematics Standards for grades kindergarten through 12.
With the approval, ADE will develop high school courses for State Board approval in May. Schools may begin implementing the new standards during the 2016-17 school year, with full implementation in the 2017-18 school year.
After receiving feedback from the Governor’s Office, Lieutenant Governor’s Office and the Governor’s Council on Common Core Review, in addition to legislators, educators and parents, the Arkansas Department of Education began the standards review process.
The review process, which began in October, involved more than 80 teachers, administrators and higher education professors. The committees spent nine days reviewing the standards, which describe what students are expected to know and do for each grade level. The review meetings were live streamed, and 1,137 responses to a public survey were considered. As a result of the review, 65 percent of the math standards were revised or clarified.
After the initial review, a new community feedback survey was released in January, with an additional 3,157 responses received. Math specialists and educators reviewed the feedback and made additional edits if needed.
“The Arkansas Mathematics Standards are the product of many hours of collaboration and review by educators, parents and students from around our state,” said 2015 Arkansas Teacher of the Year Ouida Newton, who testified before the Governor’s Council on Common Core Review and served on the math standards review committee. “As a result, Arkansas students have a set of strong, high-quality math standards that will prepare them to compete not just nationally, but globally as well. These standards will build the problem solving and critical thinking skills our students need to be successful in the future.”
To view the Arkansas Mathematics Standards, click here.
