Publications

Volume 6, Issue 1 
April 17, 2009 
In this new Arkansas Education Report, we examine the popular criticism that too much academic testing forces teachers to “teach to the test.” We suggest that when tests are sufficiently broad and tied to curricular standards – as seems to be the case in Arkansas – “teaching to the test” should not be a major problem.

Putting “Teaching to the Test” to the Test: Is This Really a Problem in Arkansas? (PDF)

Volume 6, Issue 3
April 3, 2009 

The Arkansas Department of Education (ADE) recently released a report that summarized the academic achievement of all Arkansas schools. An interesting new component of this report is the new “gains rating” calculated by the Arkansas Department of Education. The goal of this article is to put that information into context with current and past academic performance on statewide assessments, as well as examine the impact of characteristics such as poverty on the ADE’s results.

The New Arkansas School Performance Report (PDF)

Volume 6, Issue 2
February 5, 2009 

The OEP recently became partners with the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC), a research unit of the U.S. Department of Education, which reviews K-12 curricula and interventions. The goal of this article is to highlight the resources offered through the WWC, and draw attention to some of the WWC services and products that may be useful to educators in Arkansas.

Knowing What Works for Arkansas (PDF)

Volume 6, Issue 1
January 15, 2009 

This policy brief summarizes and analyzes the results of the recently released Quality Counts report by Education Week.

Quality Counts 2009 (PDF)