Learning Services

District Support

The Division of Elementary and Secondary Education has developed progressive levels of support based on federal and state laws and regulations. These levels of support include:

General

  •  Definition - General support provides guidance and tools to assist LEA.
  •  District initiated - Contacts for general questions and assistance regarding daily operations.
  •  DESE requirement - School improvement plans including literacy plan.

Collaborative

  •  Definition - Collaborative support provides minor or temporary technical  assistance or personalization of a department initiative or state  expectations.
  •  District initiated - District request for short-term assistance.
  •  DESE initiated - 1003 planning grants.
  •  DESE requirement - School improvement plans including literacy plan.   District support plan-upon request from DESE.

Coordinated 

  •  Definition - Coordinated support provides technical assistance and monitoring. District support plan required.
  •  District initiated - District request for long-term assistance.
  •  DESE initiated - ACT 1082 - district in which 40% or more of students score in need of support on the prior year summative assessment for reading.
  •  DESE requirement - School improvement plans including literacy plan.  District support plan including district literacy plan.

Directed 

  •  Definition - Directed support includes directly guiding the development and implementation of school-level plans, resource allocation, monitoring, and evaluation.
  •  District initiated - District request for long-term guidance.
  •  DESE initiated - ACT 1082- district in which 50% or more of students score  in need of support on the prior year summative assessment for reading. 
  •  DESE requirement - School improvement plans including literacy plan.   District support plan including district literacy plan shall work with DESE -  plan shall be approved by DESE.

Intensive

  •  Definition - Districts are classified for intensive support by the State Board of Education based on the Commissioner's recommendation. 
  •  District initiated - District request for intensive guidance.
  •  DESE initiated - SBE directed support.
  •  DESE requirement - School improvement plans including literacy plan.  District support plan including district literacy plan - shall work with DESE - plan shall be approved by SBE.

2022 School Improvement/District Support Requirements

          2022 School Improvement/District Support Requirements

 

     2021 Literacy Plan Improvement and Requirements

  
  2021 Literacy Plan Improvement and Requirement
 

 Process of Writing a School Improvement Plan or District Support Plan

This six-part webinar series outlines the steps in writing a school improvement plan or a district support plan. The slides used in each webinar can be accessed using the links below. Resources cited include Marzano’s High-Reliability Schools (HRS), Learning by Doing by DuFour et. al., School Leader’s Guide to Root Cause Analysis by Preuss, Clark County Schools, Las Vegas, NV, and Arkansas Educational Support and accountability Act (AESAA) January 2020.
 
#1 Data Collection and Analysis (Webinar)|(PDF)
#2 Conducting a Root Cause Analysis (Webinar)|(PDF)
#3 Prioritization to Goal Setting (Webinar)|(PDF)
#4 Improvement Planning and Monitoring (Webinar)|(PDF)
#5 Evaluating the Plan (Webinar)|(PDF)
#6 Required Components (Webinar)|(PDF)

For more information, please contact:

Ashley Harris, Director of Learning and Development
Arkansas Department of Education
Division of Elementary and Secondary Education
Four Capitol Mall, Mail Slot #26
Little Rock, AR  72201
Phone: 501-682-4240
Email: Ashley.Harris@ade.arkansas.gov


Dr. Kiffany Pride, Assistant Commissioner of Learning Services 
Arkansas Department of Education
Division of Elementary and Secondary Education
Four Capitol Mall, Mail
Little Rock, AR 72201
Phone: (501) 683-4800
Email: Kiffany.Pride@ade.arkansas.gov