FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — The University of Arkansas’ Office of Innovation for Education teamed up with the Arkansas Department of Education to land a $3.6 million, four-year grant from the U.S. Department of Education’s Competitive Grants for State Assessments program.
The Cultivating Communities for Formative Assessments that Advance Learning (CCFAL) project will help Arkansas teachers better track student progress and improve learning using ongoing, in-class assessments, according to a news release. OIE will lead the project.
“This grant represents an incredible opportunity for Arkansas to lead the way in using assessment data not just for accountability but as a tool to drive meaningful changes in instruction,” Hope Worsham, assistant commissioner for public school accountability, said. “We look forward to seeing how this work will strengthen teaching and learning across the state.”
Denise Airola, co-writer of the grant, said Arkansas has an opportunity to “flip the script” by helping teachers master assessments to improve student learning, noting that “when teachers spend more time on formative assessment processes, the summative assessment scores take care of themselves.”
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The project will use Arkansas’ new Teaching, Learning, and Assessment System (ATLAS) to provide real-time data on student progress.
“We have a unique opportunity to maximize the value of these tools to strengthen K-12 education across Arkansas,” OIE Director Feng Jiang said.
The project will involve more than 30 school districts, over 650 teachers, and could impact up to 60,000 students statewide. It will also offer a microcredential for teachers seeking advanced training.
Arkansas educators’ input will remain a “vital part” of the project’s design, CCFAL Project Manager Chrissy McNabb said.
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