Course Objectives

Where do I find course objectives or standards? Top | Back to FAQs
Curriculum frameworks contain the standard learning objectives for each subject and grade level. For parents, the Arkansas Department of Education has developed refrigerator curriculum documents, which give examples of what a child should know at each grade level.

Funding

How are school districts in Arkansas funded? Top | Back to FAQs
Arkansas is charged with providing an adequate and equitable education for all students in its public school system. The state’s funding formula was devised to accomplish that goal, taking into account both the basic needs of school districts as well as the additional costs relative to special populations of students. A complete explanation of the school district funding formula is located on the Schools page.

High School Diplomas/Transcripts

How do I get a copy of my high school diploma or transcript? Top | Back to FAQs
You should contact the school or district from which you graduated to obtain a copy of high school transcripts and diplomas. The Arkansas Department of Education does not have copies of that information. Contact information for Arkansas public schools is available in our Education Directory. If your school district was annexed or consolidated with another district, please contact the new district. A list of consolidated and annexed district information is available on our Schools page.

Kindergarten

At what age must a child start kindergarten? Top | Back to FAQs
Act 462 of the Regular Session of the 86th Arkansas General Assembly (2007) changed the age of enrollment for kindergarten students entering public schools. Information is available in our Parents section.

Laws and Rules

Where can I find laws about teachers, administrators, and students? Top | Back to FAQs
The ADE Web site includes a page with information on laws affecting students. Other laws affecting teachers, administrators and students can be found using the site that the Arkansas General Assembly offers to search Arkansas statutes.

Mailing Lists

Where can I find a list of school superintendent or principal names, with mailing addresses? Top | Back to FAQs
A list of names, addresses and e-mail addresses for superintendents and principals can be found on the Education Directory page. Lists of teachers, counselors, or other school personnel are not compiled on the Web site.

Praxis

I cannot complete step 2 of my Praxis III application because when I click the AR-PASS button, a message appears which says, "DNS error or server not found." What do I do? Top | Back to FAQs
The Praxis III Program Advisor is Becky Gibson. If you have problems with your Praxis application, please contact her at 501-683-3160.

Report Card/School Performance Report

What happened to the Report Card? Top | Back to FAQs
Information about the report card, officially called the Arkansas School Performance Report, can be found in its own section of the ADE Web site now.

Where can I find performance reports from previous years? Top | Back to FAQs
View the current performance report at the state level, or choose a district or school you want to view, on the NORMES Web site. Choose a tab on that page for School or District. After you select your school or district and click on submit, select the Report Card link on the left of the page. The page that opens will have links to previous years.

Why won't the Arkansas School Performance Report page come up? Top | Back to FAQs
The NORMES site is sometimes very busy. If the performance report won't open for you immediately, please try it again in a few minutes.

How can I compare the performance of schools or districts? Top | Back to FAQs
You can compare performance by selecting the Advanced Compare tab on the NORMES report card site.

School or District Disagreements

I disagree with something that has happened in my child's school or school district. Who can help me? Top | Back to FAQs
You should first contact the principal of the school with which you are having a disagreement. If this does not resolve the matter, please get in touch with the school district superintendent. If a crime has been committed, contact the police.

Schools

Where can I find a list of schools, principals, or superintendents? Top | Back to FAQs
A list of all schools and school districts is available in our on-line Education Directory. The section "Public Schools of Arkansas" contains a list of all schools, districts, principals and superintendents, and can be saved as a PDF file or an Excel spreadsheet.

School Improvement/Adequate Yearly Progress

Where can I find school data before the 2001-2002 school year? Top | Back to FAQs
In general, school data is not available electronically for dates before the 2001-2002 school year. For information on specific data during that time, please e-mail the ADE Communications Office.

Teaching - Education and Financial Aid

Where do I find the list of schools that have been placed on school improvement? Top | Back to FAQs
The School Improvement List can be found in the No Child Left Behind section of this site.

Teaching - Education and Financial Aid

I am studying to be a teacher. Where can I find information on grants and scholarships, or reimbursement for textbooks? Top | Back to FAQs
Financial aid information is available on the Arkansas Department of Higher Education's Web site. You can also call the financial aid office at 1-800-54-STUDY, or in the Little Rock area, 501-371-2050, or e-mail the office at finaid@adhe.edu.

Where can I find information on teacher loan forgiveness programs such as STAR and TOP? Top | Back to FAQs
Information on the State Teacher Assistance Resource Program and the Teacher Opportunity Program is available from the Arkansas Department of Higher Education.

Teachers

I have a question concerning my teaching certificate. Whom do I contact? Top | Back to FAQs
Questions about teaching certificates, including expiration dates and name changes, should be directed to the Office of Professional Licensure, at 683-3126.

Testing

Where can I download the test administrator manuals for Literacy and Benchmark and End of Course tests? Top | Back to FAQs
The manuals, forms, and other items needed for testing purposes can be found on the ACTAAP Student Assessment page.

Tutoring

What kind of tutoring provisions are available for my child? Top | Back to FAQs
School districts may offer various options for tutoring of students. Please check with your principal or superintendents for information on tutoring opportunities.