The K-3 assessment system is one component of the overall Arkansas Teaching, Learning, and Assessment System (ATLAS). Screeners are given within the first 30 days of the school year to provide teachers with actionable data to inform instruction. Additionally, K2 Interim and Summative assessments will be administered in the middle of the year and at the end of the year to monitor student progress. The ATLAS platform is a seamless test delivery and reporting system for all students in Arkansas from Kindergarten through High School.

Arkansas LEARNS Act 237 requires the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education to implement a statewide comprehensive student assessment system that includes the following components:

(1)      High-quality, evidence-based literacy screeners for kindergarten through grade 3 (K-3) which also meets the requirements of a dyslexia screener during the first 30 days,

(2)       Developmentally appropriate assessments for kindergarten through grade two (K-2) in literacy and mathematics in the middle-of-year (interim) and end-of-year (summative).

(3)    The purpose of K-2 assessments is to assess foundational skills in literacy and math, help drive instructional decisions, and support students who do not meet grade level foundational skills.

The beginning of year literacy screener shall determine students who are at-risk in the following foundational reading skills:

(A)          Phonological and phonemic awareness;

(B)          Sound symbol recognition;

(C)         Alphabet knowledge;

(D)          Decoding skills;

(E)          Rapid naming skills;

(F)          Encoding skills; and

(G)         Language comprehension.

The beginning of year math screener shall determine students who are at-risk in the following foundational math skills:

(A)          Number and Place Value;

(B)          Computation and Algebraic Reasoning.