Episode Details

Happy Friday!

As we continue through the spring semester, I want to begin by thanking our staff for how quickly and effectively you helped our district regain momentum following an unexpected six-day closure due to winter weather. Returning to routine after that amount of disruption is not easy, yet classrooms, offices, and campuses across the district quickly refocused on teaching, learning, and serving students. I also want to specifically thank our maintenance and transportation teams for the work they put in on Monday to ensure campuses were safe and bus routes were operational so we could return to school on Tuesday. Their behind-the-scenes efforts were essential to making that transition possible. That collective ability to reset, re-establish expectations, and move forward with purpose reflects the professionalism and resilience of this organization.

Even after interruptions, our work remains anchored in clear goals and shared expectations. The performance targets we have committed to as a district continue to guide decision-making, instructional focus, and the use of time and resources. Your efforts to align daily practice with those targets, while balancing flexibility, planning, and care for students, are what keep progress moving in the right direction. This week’s Wrap-Up includes an important update related to assessment timelines and next year’s academic calendar, along with an opportunity for students to engage in meaningful civic learning as our nation approaches its 250th anniversary.

Academic Calendar Update and Assessment Alignment

As we work toward finalizing next year’s academic calendar, I want to share an update on timing. The Arkansas Department of Education has adjusted statewide testing windows, and the preliminary assessment calendar for 2026–2027 reflects several important shifts.

Next year, K–2 interim assessments will take place in October and January, and both interim windows for grades 3–10 and End-of-Course assessments will conclude by December 11, which is earlier than in the current year. In addition, the ATLAS summative testing window will not open until May 3. These changes require us to adjust the placement of instructional data days, so staff have timely access to interim results and can meaningfully use that data to guide instruction, while also accounting for a later summative window.

Because these shifts affect instructional days, data use, and overall calendar alignment, we need additional time to finalize calendar options. As a result, the release of calendar choices for staff voting will be delayed by at least one additional week. Thank you for your patience as we work to ensure the calendar supports both compliance and instructional effectiveness.

Arkansas Celebrates America250 | Presidential 1776 Award

As part of Arkansas Celebrates America250 (#ACA250), the Arkansas Department of Education is sharing the Presidential 1776 Award, a national civics competition for high school students that recognizes exceptional understanding of America’s founding principles.

The competition is launched by the U.S. Department of Education and independently developed and judged by the James Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation. It challenges students to connect classroom learning to constitutional principles, civic responsibility, and informed citizenship as our nation approaches its 250th anniversary.

The Presidential 1776 Award is open to students in grades 9–12 at no cost and includes an online state qualifying exam this month, followed by regional and national rounds. The national finals wi