LITTLE ROCK — The State Board of Education on Friday approved the Arkansas English Language Arts and Arkansas Disciplinary Literacy Standards for grades K-12. Schools may begin implementing the new standards during the 2016-17 school year. Full implementation will occur in the 2017-18 school year.

As a result of the approval, the Arkansas Department of Education will begin developing high school courses and will seek State Board approval in the fall of 2016. 

The Arkansas Department of Education began an extensive standards review process in October 2015 after receiving feedback from the Governor’s Office, Lieutenant Governor’s Office, Governor’s Council on Common Core Review, legislators, educators and parents. The review process involved more than 100 teachers, administrators and higher education professors who spent seven days reviewing the standards, which describe what students are expected to know and do by the end of each grade. Each of the review committee meetings were live streamed.

The public was given the opportunity to provide feedback through a survey, resulting in a total of 897 responses. The committee considered the initial feedback and made changes. A second community feedback survey was released April 2016, resulting in an additional 1,539 responses. English language arts and literacy specialists reviewed the feedback and made additional edits.

As a result of the committee’s work, 62 percent of the English language arts and literacy standards were revised or clarified, which resulted in the final version that was presented to the State Board on Friday. 

“I would like to express my thanks to Assistant Commissioner Stacy Smith, Ms. Sherri Thorne, the ADE staff, and all of the parents, teachers, and administrators who addressed the concerns of the Governor’s Council on Common Core Review around the English language arts and literacy standards,” said State Board Member Charisse Dean, who also served on the Governor’s Council on Common Core Review. “I appreciate the diligent work to revise and transform these standards into something that is customized for and by the people of Arkansas. Excellent work!”

The standards are available online at http://www.arkansased.gov/divisions/learning-services/curriculum-and-instruction/curriculum-framework-documents/english-language-arts.

To learn more about the standards review process, go to http://www.arkansased.gov/divisions/learning-services/curriculum-and-instruction/state-standards-review-for-mathematics-and-english-language-arts.