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Arkansas

As of the 2007-2008 school year, Arkansas schools were home to more than 26,000 English language learners (ELLs), which marks a 287% increase from the 1997-1998 school year (NCELA, 2010). The top five languages or language groups spoken by ELLs in Arkansas are Spanish, Vietnamese, Pacific Island languages, Laotian, and French (EPE, 2009). Additional information about the state's recent ELL population growth can be found in Programs for Language Minority Students (2005-2006).

State ELL Resources

State Agency: Arkansas Department of Education

ELL Website: LEP Curriculum Information for Educators

ELL Identification

Arkansas' Department of Education provides rules and regulations governing the education its English learners including how students will be identified, annually assessed, and monitored- once they have achieved proficiency in English.

Placement Exam: Included in the regulations, section 4.02, is the provision of specific identification testing that must be done to determine if a student is an English learner. Identification testing may include a selection from the following list of approved tests: Language Assessment Scale [LAS], IDEA [IPT-Idea Proficiency Test, Woodcock Munoz, Maculaitis Assessment of Competencies, Language Assessment Battery [LAB].

Local Education Agencies may also use an alternative identification assessment under the approval of the Arkansas Department of Education and if it known to be proven to be an effective measure of language assessment in all four domains, listening, speaking, reading and writing.

ELP Standards & Assessment

ELP Standards: English Language Development Standards

ELP Assessment: English Language Development Assessment

ELL Instruction

Arkansas' Department of Educationdoes not provide any restrictions as to the type of programming that is implemented. Schools may provide bilingual education, structured English immersion, or other model type so that it is proven to be effective.

Statewide Standards-Based Assessment

Assessment: Arkansas Comprehensive Testing, Assessment and Accountability Program (ACTAAP)

ELL Accommodations: Accommodations Used on State Assessments* (pg. 2)

Additional Information

NCELA: Title III Information*

Common Core State Standards: Yes

Arkansas Education Association

Arkansas Education Association is a National Education Association State Affiliate that regularly lobbies legislators for the resources schools need, campaigns for higher professional standards for the teaching profession, and files legal actions to protect academic freedom and the rights of school employees.

Arkansas State Parent Information Resource Centers

The primary purposes of the Center for Effective Parenting /Arkansas PIRC are to enhance the developmental progress of children and to improve children's academic achievement through enhancing parental involvement

Arkansas TESOL

ARKTESOL members are professionals who work to serve our international neighbors in Arkansas through teaching and also promoting mutual understanding.

References

Editorial Projects in Education (EPE). "Most Common Non-English Languages Spoken by ELL Youths, by State." Perspectives on a Population: English-Language Learners in American Schools (Education Week's Quality Counts 2009 Report). Pg. 13. Retrieved from http://www.edweek.org/ew/toc/2009/01/08/index.html. January 2009.

Office of English Language Acquisition, Language Enhancement, and Academic Achievement for Limited English Proficient Students. Arkansas Rate of EL Growth (1997/98-2007/08). Compiled July 2010 and retrieved from http://www.ncela.gwu.edu/t3sis/state/arkansas/data.