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The Arkansas Department of Education has received a $3.6 million federal grant that will allow educators to improve instruction and student learning.
Arkansas is one of 10 states receiving nearly $30 million worth of the U.S. Department of Education’s Competitive Grants for State Assessments awards. The program helps states develop and implement “high-quality, innovative, and authentic assessments” that will improve teaching and learning, and provide timely information about student progress, according to the U.S. Department of Education .
The federal agency announced the awards Wednesday, along with a record $179 million in new Comprehensive Literacy State Development Grant awards, which are focused on supporting academic acceleration.
According to an ADE press release, Arkansas will use its grant to:
- Partner with select districts to pilot new teaching and assessment practices
- Develop professional learning that empowers educators to interpret and use test data to guide instruction and learning
- Strengthen collaboration among educators who use and share data
- Expand the program statewide
- Create micro-credentials in data and assessment literacy that educators can add to their licenses