The Challenge

• The Arkansas Department of Education recognized that it needed to take action to support schools across the state identified as in corrective action or facing restructuring for consistent low performance.

The Solution

• After a competitive bidding process, Arkansas selected America’s Choice as its turnaround partner to assist the state’s lowest-performing schools. The work began in targeted schools in the summer of 2006.

The Results

• Growth rates in America’s Choice schools exceeded state growth rates in both literacy and mathematics. In literacy, America’s Choice schools experienced a 7.3 percent increase in proficiency at the elementary grades on the state test from 2006 to 2007, compared with a 3 percent increase for the state of Arkansas. In mathematics, America’s Choice schools had a 17.4 percent increase in proficiency at the elementary grades on the state test, compared with 11 percent for the state of Arkansas.