Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families (AACF) is releasing three documents aimed at helping low-income parents understand Common Core State Standards (Common Core). The documents are written in family-friendly language that is more easily understood by non-education professionals. One of our partner organizations in this work, the Arkansas Public Policy Panel, will be using the […]

A new report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation shows Arkansas has a lot of ground to cover to ensure that all kids – especially children of color – are positioned to thrive. Race for Results: Building a Path to Opportunity for All Children, shows how children are progressing on key issues across racial and ethnic groups […]

This is a quick and simple way to see where funding for Arkansas P-12 education comes from, how it’s used, and AACF’s recommendations for how to support low-income students effectively (Please feel free to share this image. It prints out best at a 11 X 17 size).

The quality of school facilities can have a major impact on the education that our children receive and whether they succeed in school. State funding for school facilities should be increased to meet the needs of all districts. The official standard, that facilities need only be warm, safe, and dry, is not good enough. Check out […]

State poverty funding (more commonly known as “NSLA funding”) is the part of the state-funded adequacy package for schools that is targeted to low-income students. It is named NSLA after the National School Lunch Act program, the eligibility for which determines each school district’s student count for state NSLA funding. NSLA funding provides programs and […]

The National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) releases a State of Preschool report every year. Arkansas usually does well in these rankings given the success of the state’s Arkansas Better Chance (ABC) program. Arkansas ranks 11th in access for 4-year-olds and 5th in access for 3-year-olds. Arkansas ranks 10th in the country when it […]

Black students in Arkansas schools are more likely to be suspended and receive corporal punishment than their white counterparts, according to a new report from Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families (AACF). In 2012 black students were given out-of-school suspension more than five times as often as white students, in-school-suspension almost three times as often, […]

Edited by Terry K. Peterson, Ph.D., is a groundbreaking compendium of studies, reports and commentaries by more than 100 thought leaders including community leaders, elected officials, educators, researchers, advocates and other prominent authors. This powerful collection of nearly 70 articles presents bold and persuasive evidence-as well as examples of effective practices, programs and partnerships-that demonstrate […]

The evidence is clear: a young person’s failure to read at grade level by the end of third grade creates a massive barrier to educational success. It is a key force in determining whether a student will go on to graduate from high school, attend and graduate from college, and achieve future success in the […]

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:  Download the executive summary for a brief overview of the full report. Reading proficiently by the end of third grade impacts a variety of outcomes such as: Children’s ability to learn after third grade Children’s academic outcomes as measured by standardized tests, grades, and course failures Non-academic outcomes such as self-esteem and behavioral […]