Update – Page 4 – Family Council

From Chinese Infiltrators to Church Growth, Here’s a Recap of the Week’s Top Stories

May 22, 2026Jerry CoxCurrent EventsUpdate, Weekly Rewind

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Here’s a quick recap of the week’s top stories from Family Council and our friends:

From Family Council

🚩 China Working to Infiltrate U.S., Rewrite the Bible: Different news outlets have reported recently about China’s efforts to infiltrate the United States and squelch religious liberty and free speech both in its own country and abroad. Keep Reading.

🏳️‍🌈 Tennessee Replaces “Pride Month” with Pro-Family Celebration: Policymakers in Tennessee recently adopted a pro-family resolution replacing “Pride Month” in the Volunteer State. Watch the Video.

🚨 Gambling Addiction Is a Growing Crisis — And Online Betting Is Making It Worse: Most states have legalized sports betting. Survey data shows more than half of men ages 18 – 49 have an active sportsbook account online. Arkansans wagered a record $86.5 million in March alone this year. “Prediction markets” that operate outside the scope of state regulation have exploded in recent years as well. But this type of gambling is taking a terrible toll on everyday people and their families. Keep Reading.

🥼 New Study Finds Genetic Links Between Marijuana and Psychosis: Researchers at King’s College London recently published a study identifying the genetic pathways that connect marijuana use to psychosis. Keep Reading.

🌷 Guest Column: Dying with Dignity vs. “Death with Dignity” In a recent episode of “60 Minutes,” interviewer Scott Pelley said to his guest, “You don’t have much time. Why are you spending time doing this?” His guest, former U.S. Senator Ben Sasse, who received a fatal diagnosis of pancreatic cancer in December, replied with a laugh, “You invited me, so I assume you needed to fill some time.” Keep Reading.

🎓 EFA Data Shows Arkansas Homeschoolers Exceeded National Averages on Several Norm-Referenced Tests Last Year: Family Council recently obtained test scores from the Arkansas Department of Education via the Freedom of Information Act, and last week we reported that on average, homeschoolers scored better than private school students in the EFA program on norm-referenced tests. Keep Reading.

⛪ Church Attendance Is Up. Here’s Why That Matters. A recent report from the Hartford Institute for Religion Research found that median in-person worship attendance rose from 65 in 2020 to 70 in 2025. That may sound modest, but researchers called it significant. Keep Reading.

✉️ Family Council Joins Letter Urging Congressional Leaders Not to Fund Abortionists: Last week, Family Council joined more than 50 other pro-life leaders and organizations in a letter calling on Congress not to fund abortionists. Keep Reading.

From Our Friends

What Does the FDA Shakeup Mean for Abortion Pill Review? From Daily Citizen.

SPLC’s Tactics to Silence Put Freedom at Risk. From The Washington Stand.

Psychiatrist Tells Canadian Parliament: Okay to Euthanize People With Depression. From LifeNews.

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

EFA Data Shows Arkansas Homeschoolers Exceeded National Averages on Several Norm-Referenced Tests Last Year

May 18, 2026Jerry CoxHome SchoolHome School, LEARNS, Update

Testing data from Arkansas’ Educational Freedom Account (EFA) program shows homeschoolers excelled on several different norm-referenced tests last year.

The Arkansas Legislature created the EFA program in 2023 to provide funding for students to pay for an education at a public or private school or through homeschooling. Students who receive EFA funds must take a nationally recognized norm-referenced test to assess their math and reading skills each year. The tests compare students to their peers nationwide who took the same test.

Family Council recently obtained test scores from the Arkansas Department of Education via the Freedom of Information Act, and last week we reported that on average, homeschoolers scored better than private school students in the EFA program on norm-referenced tests.

The EFA program does not require students to take the very same norm-referenced test, but the data we received from the Department of Education shows the three most common tests students took last year were the NWEA Measure of Academic Progress (MAP) test, the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS), and the Stanford Achievement Test (SAT) 10.

Homeschoolers’ average scores were well above the national averages on each of these tests, and homeschoolers outperformed private school students in Arkansas who took these same tests.

On average, homeschoolers scored in the 64th percentile in math on the MAP test, and the 69th percentile in reading. Private school students scored in the 57th percentile in math and 59th percentile in reading. Hundreds of homeschoolers scored in the top 10% on the MAP test.

On the Iowa Test of Basic Skills, homeschoolers average in the 67th percentile in math and 71st in reading. Private school students averaged in the 60th percentile in math and 62nd in reading. Just like the MAP test, many homeschoolers scored in the top 10% on the ITBS.

The private school SAT 10 testing data Family Council received was not as complete as the data for the ITBS and MAP test, but the homeschool numbers showed homeschoolers performed well above average on the SAT 10 test.

Interestingly, a few homeschoolers participating in the EFA program last year chose to take the SAT or ACT.

On average, homeschoolers who took the SAT scored in the 62nd percentile on math and the 75th percentile on reading. Homeschoolers who took the ACT averaged in the 53rd percentile in math and the 60th percentile on reading.

All of this underscores that both private school students and homeschool students participating in the EFA program are doing exceptionally well, but homeschoolers are excelling under the program.

Norm-referenced tests like these are designed to assess students, but also compare them against their peers nationwide. Arkansas’ homeschoolers in the EFA program are consistently outperforming other students in Arkansas and across the nation taking these same tests.

There have always been a few lawmakers in Little Rock and a few people at the Arkansas Department of Education who oppose homeschooling.

This opposition has been evident with the introduction of two laws to restrict EFA funds for homeschoolers and with proposed Department of Education rules to place new restrictions on homeschoolers in the EFA program.

A lot of homeschoolers are concerned those rules go beyond state law and will make it harder for homeschoolers to educate their children. Lawmakers could vote on those rules soon. The EFA program clearly is working well for homeschool families, and we hope our elected officials will keep it that way.

That’s why we are urging Arkansans to ask their lawmakers to make sure the new EFA rules are fair to homeschool families. If you need help contacting your state legislators, please call or email our office, and we will assist you.

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

Educational Excellence, Courtroom Controversies — and Other Top Stories from This Week

May 15, 2026Jerry CoxCurrent EventsUpdate, Weekly Rewind

Here’s a quick recap of the week’s top stories from Family Council and our friends:

From Family Council

🎓 Arkansas Department of Education Data Shows Homeschoolers Excelling Under EFA Program: Homeschoolers participating in the Educational Freedom Account (EFA) program under the LEARNS Act outperformed students in private schools on state-mandated tests, according to data that Family Council obtained from the Arkansas Department of Education under the Freedom of Information Act. Keep Reading.

📖 Arkansas State Library Board Advances Rules to Protect Children from Explicit Material: Arkansas is home to many public libraries all across the state, but in recent years, parents and policymakers alike have expressed serious concerns about obscene and explicit children’s books that some librarians have placed on the shelves of their local libraries. Last week, the Arkansas State Library Board advanced a proposal to help protect children from sexually explicit material in public libraries. Keep Reading.

💊 Family Council Joins Brief Asking SCOTUS to Block Mail-Order Abortion Drugs: Last week, Family Council joined 49 other pro-life organizations in a legal brief challenging mail-order abortion drugs before the U.S. Supreme Court. Keep Reading.

🏛️ Case Closed. Judge Dismisses Lawsuit Challenging Arkansas’ Pro-Life Laws: A Pulaski County Circuit Judge has dismissed a lawsuit seeking to undo Arkansas’ pro-life laws. Keep Reading.

🏀 Mid Vermont Christian School Back in Court: Attorneys representing a Christian school in Vermont were back in court on Friday after state officials refused to include the school in state programs. Keep Reading.

💸 Attorneys Say Online Sports Betting Is Bankrupting Families: As states have legalized sports betting, most men ages 18 – 49 now have an active sportsbook account online. Arkansans wagered a record $86.5 million in March alone this year. But this type of gambling is taking a terrible toll on individuals and their families. Bankruptcy attorneys across the country say online sports betting is driving a surge in personal bankruptcies — especially among young men in their 20s and 30s. Keep Reading.

🍼 Guest Column: “There Is No Mama”. A recent video exposed the injustice at the heart of same-sex marriage and commercial surrogacy. In it, a man bouncing a baby on his lap asks, “Who do you want? Dada or Pop?” The baby answered, “Mama!” To which, both the man and his unseen partner behind the camera laughed and said, “There is no Mama.” They continue to badger the child, who then begins to cry. Keep Reading.