Informational Documents
The Division of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) is pleased to provide these informational documents pertaining to the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). Please share them.

Empowering Schools for Success: Using Effective Evidence-Based Practices to Impact Student Outcomes
This resource guide features an overview and videos about evidence-based interventions. It also includes information on how each of the four tiers are defined by ESSA and how they are used to determine how an intervention is classified. General questions and responses for consideration at the district level and resources for educators to learn more about using evidence in education are also included.
Documents
Arkansas ESSA Plan | ESSA Index | Business Rules & Statistics |
---|---|---|
1. Vision for Excellence in Education (PDF) | 11. What is ESSA? (PDF) ¿Qué es ESSA? (PDF) | 20. 2016 ESSA School Index Statistics (PPTX) (PDF) |
2. Every Student Succeeds Act - A Guide to the Arkansas Plan (PDF) | 12. Grade Spans and Configurations (PDF) | 21. 2017 Business Rules for Calculating the ESSA School Index Scores FINAL posted 3/13/18 (DOCX) (PDF) |
3. The Arkansas State Plan (PDF) | 13. What is the ESSA School Index (PDF) | |
4. No Child Left Behind vs. Every Student Succeeds Act (PDF) | 14. Weighted Achievement (PDF) | 23. 2018 Business Rules for Calculating the ESSA School Index Scores posted 6/25/18, updated 8/17/18 (DOCX) (PDF) |
15. Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (PDF) | 24. 2018 ESSA School Index Statistics (PPTX) (PDF) | |
6. Timeline: Arkansas, ESSA and Our Pathway to the Future (PDF) | 16. School Growth Explanation (PDF) | 25. State Assessment System – Peer Review (PDF) |
7. Theory of Action (PDF) | 26. 2019 Business Rules for Calculating the ESSA School Index Scores revision posted 6/4/19 (DOCX) (PDF) | |
8. Cycle of Inquiry (PDF)
| 18. School Quality and Student Success (SQSS) Components by Grade Span posted 6/26/18 (DOCX) (PDF) | 27. How Are Letter Grades Earned? (DOCX) (PDF) |
9 . Arkansas Academic Standards (PDF) | 19. Improving Graduation Rates (Video) | 28. 2020 Business Rules for Calculating the ESSA School Index Scores (DOCX) (PDF) |
10. State Assessment System (PDF) | ||
31. Impact of COVID-19 on State and Federal Accountability and Reporting (PDF) | ||
32. 2021 Business Rules for Calculating the ESSA School Index Scores (DOCX) (PDF) | ||
33. 2021 ESSA School Index Statistics (PPTX) (PDF) | ||
34. 2021 Business Rules for Calculating the ESSA School Index Scores (revised April 23, 2021) (DOCX) (PDF) | ||
35. 2022 Business Rules for Calculating the ESSA School Index Scores (DOCX) (PDF) | ||
36. Impact of COVID-19 on the 2021 State and Federal Accountability and Reporting (PDF) | ||
37. 2023 Business Rules for Calculating the ESSA School Index Scores (DOCX) (PDF) | ||
Webinars, Related Documents and Resources
- June 2021 - Growth Presentation from the ADE Summit (Webinar Recording)
- Spring 2018 - ESSA Presentation to Co-ops (PPTX) (PDF)
- May 7, 2018 - Professional Judgment Rubric-Exit Criteria Guidance (Webinar Recording) (Commissioner's Memo LS-18-093) (PDF)
- Vision of Excellence
- What is ESSA?
- Grade Spans
- ESSA School Index
- Weighted Achievement
- School Growth Score
- Graduation Rates
- School Quality and Student Success
- Cycle of Inquiry