Bill Filed to Provide Students With Equal Access to College and Career Readiness Assessments Like SAT, ACT Exams

Legislation, ,

A measure filed at the Arkansas Legislature on Tuesday would provide students in Arkansas with equal access to college and career readiness assessments like the SAT and ACT exams.

Organizations like College Board, National Merit Scholarship Corporation, and others are responsible for college and career readiness assessments. These tests are crucial for students who want to attend college or qualify for scholarships.

Most of these college and career readiness assessments are nationally-recognized, norm-referenced tests. Students typically take these exams outside of normal class hours at a school that has agreed to serve as a test site for the exam.

In many cases, the test site may be a school that the student does not attend.

H.B. 1428 by Rep. Cameron Cooper (R – Romance) and Sen. Matt McKee (R – Pearcy) ensures that public, private, and home schooled students have equal access to college and career readiness assessments offered at public schools in Arkansas.

Under H.B. 1428, a public school that serves as a test site for one of these college and career exams would not be able to use the student’s enrollment status as grounds for denying the student access to the test.

Testing organizations like College Board also provide recommendations for accommodating students who have physical disabilities or learning disabilities.

H.B. 1428 ensures that public schools that serve as a test site for one of these exams will provide accommodations as recommended by the testing organization if a student has a verifiable physical disability or learning disability.

H.B. 1428 is a good bill that will ensure students have equal access to college and career readiness assessments regardless of where they attend school and regardless of any disabilities that they may have.

You Can Read H.B. 1428 Here.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

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Family Council Supports Giving Parents, Children Options in Education

Education, Legislation, , ,

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — On Wednesday Family Council announced the pro-family organization supports passing a school choice measure in Arkansas this year.

Family Council President Jerry Cox released a statement, saying, “Our organization has always believed families deserve options when it comes to education. Home schooling is a great example of how giving families options can help their children flourish. Family Council has supported home schooling for more than 25 years, because it empowers parents to give their son or their daughter the education that’s right for them. Home schooling in Arkansas has been incredibly successful as a result. Governor Sanders and members of the General Assembly intend to pass good school choice legislation this year. We want to work with our friends to pass legislation that will help Arkansas families without regulating nonpublic school students.”

Cox said many Arkansans are bothered by changes they see in public education. “A lot of families feel like public education has deteriorated over the years, and they don’t like the direction it’s heading. For those families, school choice legislation could give them real alternatives that will help their children succeed. This is a critical issue for families, and our organization plans to address it.”

Family Council is a conservative education and research organization based in Little Rock with a mission of promoting, protecting, and strengthening traditional family values.

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Heritage Foundation Ranks Arkansas #13 in Education Freedom

Education,

The Heritage Foundation recently ranked Arkansas in thirteenth place on its Education Freedom Report Card.

The report analyzed laws from all 50 states — with special focus on school choice, transparency in education, regulatory freedom, and education spending.

Among other things, the report card noted that:

  • Arkansas has rejected Common Core-aligned tests.
  • The state does not apply critical race theory to “diversity training” for educators.
  • Parents may choose among private, charter, and public schools.

The report card identified different ways that Arkansas could improve its education freedoms, including:

  • Establishing education savings accounts.
  • Expanding private-school-choice programs.
  • Making it easier to open and operate charter schools.
  • Giving families more choices among traditional public schools.

The report card also found that one in four of Arkansas’ public school districts with more than 15,000 students employ a “chief diversity officer.”

Read The Report Card Here.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

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