AR App

It is essential for districts to align resources behind a single, clear, and coherent set of priorities to guide the work of enhancing student growth. Each year, districts plan for how to improve student learning in the coming year. This process involves reviewing student achievement and student progress data, establishing priorities, and building a budget aligned to these priorities using all available funding sources. The planning process currently includes multiple cumbersome and redundant applications, which creates inefficiencies that divide educators' focus.

AR App Logo

In an effort to support Arkansas school districts with this process, the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) has consolidated the planning process for 17 applications. The AR App will replace 8 grants and 9 applications (see Planning Guide, Appendix B: Inclusion of Grants in AR App), fulfilling the federal requirement for ESSA plans as well as planning required in Arkansas statute.

The AR App will require districts to manage their teams collaboratively to ensure that district leadership – and by extension all who support students – are operating from a single plan for student learning.

Available Supports

DESE has developed resources to assist your district team: Planning Guide, FAQ document, technical guidance, and video tutorials are available on this page. We recommend that all districts start by carefully reviewing the AR App Planning Guide.

Arkansas Education Service Cooperatives have partnered with DESE to developed a series of AR App Training Sessions to support the gradual completion of the AR App. This will help schools differentiate the process and produce a high-quality application. The timeline of this work will began in January and will conclude in May each year. Each month a different component of the AR App will be the focus. The process is intended to provide support around the comprehensive needs assessment, data collection, forming the team, SMART goals, and writing goals that align with district data and LEARNS.

AR App Resources

Required Uploads

District 1.1LEA Federal Assurances
District 1.3 Affirmation of Consultation Form
Preliminary Federal Budget Worksheet (from eFinance)
State 1.1 ALE Consortium MOU (if needed)

Important Due Dates

June 30: Districts complete and upload assurances to the AR App Portal Digital Locker.
Must be approved by school board prior to the due date.
June 30: Federal preliminary budgets uploaded to the AR App Portal Digital Locker.
June 30: AR App submission through the AR App Portal