Arkansas

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott passes in front of a memorial outside Robb Elementary School to honor the victims killed in a school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, May 29, 2022. In the aftermath of the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, governors around the country vowed to take steps to ensure their students would be kept safe. Months later, as students return to classrooms, money has begun to flow for school security upgrades, training and other new efforts to make classrooms safer.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott passes in front of a memorial outside Robb Elementary School to honor the victims killed in a school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, May 29, 2022. In the aftermath of the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, governors around the country vowed to take steps to ensure their students would be kept safe. Months later, as students return to classrooms, money has begun to flow for school security upgrades, training and other new efforts to make classrooms safer.
Dario Lopez-Mills/AP
School Climate & Safety States' Plans to Make School Safer Reflect Political Divides
At every step, the actions have stirred debate over whether states are doing the right things to address the scourge of school shootings.
The Associated Press, September 7, 2022
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4 min read
Brent Kiger, Olathe Public Schools' director of safety service, displays a panic-alert button while students at Olathe South High School rush between classes Friday, Aug. 19, 2022, in Olathe, Kan. The district introduced the buttons, which allow staff to trigger a lockdown that will be announced with flashing strobe lights, a takeover of staff computers and a prerecorded intercom announcement, at the start of this school year as part of $2.1 million plan to make district schools more secure.
Brent Kiger, the director of safety service for the school district in Olathe, Kansas, displays a panic-alert button while students at Olathe South High School rush between classes. The district introduced the buttons at the start of this school year as part of $2.1 million plan to make schools more secure.
Charlie Riedel/AP
School Climate & Safety Panic Buttons Gain Traction as a School Safety Tool
A growing number of districts are shelling out tens of thousands of dollars per school for panic buttons to summon help during a shooting.
The Associated Press, August 22, 2022
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6 min read
Image of a high school classroom.
Getty
Student Well-Being What the Research Says Mask Mandates Cut COVID-19 Spread in Schools, Studies Find
In one study, stricter mask policies reduced school infections by more than 70 percent during the delta wave.
Sarah D. Sparks, March 9, 2022
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6 min read
Susan Gilley, the executive director of federal programs and instructional technology for the Harrison Public Schools in Harrison, Ark., created the GOBSmobile, a mobile learning library and STEM lab for students.
Susan Gilley, the executive director of federal programs and instructional technology for the Harrison Public Schools in Harrison, Ark., created the GOBSmobile, a mobile learning library and STEM lab for students.
Liz Sanders for Education Week
School & District Management Leader To Learn From A DIY Approach to Boost STEM Engagement in Rural Schools
Arkansas educator's technology integration and mobile STEM lab offer students better access during remote instruction and beyond.
Sarah D. Sparks, February 16, 2022
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8 min read
Collage of figures and money texture.
Collage by Laura Baker/Education Week and iStock/Getty
Education Funding State K-12 Spending Is Inequitable and Inadequate. See Where Yours Ranks
There's a $17,000 per student difference between the highest- and lowest-spending states. High-poverty schools suffer especially.
Mark Lieberman, October 28, 2021
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4 min read
Twin brothers John and Jonathan Easter walk together in their hometown of Bradley, Ark. a few weeks before they are going to begin college on July 30, 2021.
Twin brothers John and Jonathan Easter walk together in their hometown of Bradley, Ark. a few weeks before they are going to begin college on July 30, 2021.
April Kirby/For Education Week
College & Workforce Readiness Video Resilience, Faith, and Support: How Twin Brothers Forged Diverging Paths to College
Twin brothers from rural Arkansas reflect on their path to college in the midst of the pandemic.
Brooke Saias, September 21, 2021
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1 min read
Illustration of students reading with pie chart.
Getty
States From Our Research Center Map: A-F Grades, Rankings for States on School Quality
Here’s a map showing grades for all the states on this year’s Quality Counts summative report card, on which the nation gets a C overall.
EdWeek Research Center, September 1, 2021
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1 min read
Illustration of students reading with pie chart.
Getty
States From Our Research Center Nation Gets a 'C' on Latest School Quality Report Card, While N.J. Again Boasts Top Grade
A slight increase in this year's Quality Counts score isn't enough to boost the nation's school system above last year's middling grade.
Sterling C. Lloyd & Alex Harwin, September 1, 2021
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8 min read
Illustration of students reading with pie chart.
Getty
States From Our Research Center State Grades on K-12 Achievement: 2021 Map and Rankings
Examine the grades and scores that states and the nation earned on K-12 achievement, along with how they scored on a host of indicators.
EdWeek Research Center, September 1, 2021
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1 min read
Image of a face mask on school notebook.
Steven White/iStock/Getty
States Infographic Which States Banned Mask Mandates in Schools, and Which Required Masks?
Education Week tracked state-level school mask policies during the 2021-22 school year.
Stacey Decker, August 20, 2021
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1 min read
Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson takes off his face mask as he arrives for a daily coronavirus briefing at the state Capitol in Little Rock, Ark. on April 27, 2020. Hutchinson signed a bill in April banning statewide and local mask mandates in Arkansas, but he is now considering rolling back that law amid concerns of the highly transmissible Delta variant of COVID-19.
Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson takes off his face mask as he arrives for a daily coronavirus briefing at the state Capitol in Little Rock in April.
Staton Breidenthal/Arkansas Democrat-Gazette via AP
States Arkansas Judge Pauses Ban on School Mask Mandates After Lawmakers Fail to Act
As Arkansas sees soaring rates of COVID-19, school districts will—at least for now—be able to set their own local mask requirements.
Evie Blad, August 6, 2021
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3 min read
080321 Broward School Board Mask Protest TNS BS
A group of mask opponents speak outside during a Broward County School Board meeting in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., last week.
Carline Jean/AP
States States Pressured to Rethink Bans on School Mask Mandates as COVID Delta Variant Surges
Masks are a key tool for COVID-19 prevention, but many states have banned schools from requiring them. Some are rethinking those policies.
Evie Blad, August 3, 2021
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7 min read
U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona, center, enters teacher Meghan Horleman's, right, classroom during a visit to the Olney Elementary School Annex in Philadelphia on April 6, 2021.
U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona enters the classroom of teacher Meghan Horleman during a visit to the Olney Elementary School Annex in Philadelphia on April 6.
Tim Tai/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP
Education Funding Feds OK First State Plans for Remaining Share of $122 Billion in K-12 Virus Aid
As it approved states' relief plans, the Education Department separately opened applications for $600 million in homeless-student aid.
Evie Blad, July 7, 2021
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5 min read
Conceptual image of a school door with projected shadows of students.
Collage by Laura Baker/Education Week (Images: iStock/Getty)
School & District Management Interactive Enrollment Data: How Many Students Went Missing in Your State?
America's public school system lost more than 1.3 million students during the coronavirus pandemic, according to an Education Week analysis.
Eesha Pendharkar & Maya Riser-Kositsky, July 2, 2021
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1 min read
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