Just for the Kids
Best Practice Studies:
Findings from Arkansas Schools

Just for the Kids—Arkansas, The Arkansas Department of Education, National Center for Educational Achievement (NCEA), and The Broad Foundation are pleased to release NCEA’s Executive Summary of the 2005 Just for the Kids Best Practice Study featuring the successful practices of Arkansas public middle schools.

Arkansas was among 20 states that participated in 2005 Just for the Kids (JFTK) Best Practice Studies and Institutes designed to inform improvement efforts based on the exemplary practices found in higher performing schools and systems. Through this report of the practices of middle schools that are successful in raising student achievement, schools in need of improvement can gain direct and practical insight from schools in Arkansas and other states. "The Arkansas business community is proud to be a partner with Just For The Kids and the National Center on Educational Accountability," said Paul H. Harvel, president & CEO of the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce and Associated Industries of Arkansas, Inc. "Through their web-based data site and as a result of the Communities Just For The Kids initiative, people in Arkansas are beginning to make the connection that policy decisions and school strategies should be data driven. In addition, the State Chamber is proud to have contributed to the Arkansas Middle School Best Practice Study. We are hopeful that it will serve as a learning tool for all who are committed to raising student achievement and building higher performing schools."

"Education reform in Arkansas has provided great opportunities for educators and our school children. However, these opportunities bring an equal amount of challenges in the form of strong accountability measures," said Ken James, Commissioner of the Arkansas Department of Education. "Anytime we can provide informative data and case studies about successful school and classroom practices, they can serve as models for educators still searching for achievement strategies that create higher-performing schools. The Arkansas Department of Education is proud to have partnered with Just For The Kids to provide this report on some of Arkansas' most outstanding student achievement strategies. I hope that educators who are serious about school improvement will find the report helpful as they look for proven methods to replicate their success."

Goals and Uses for Study Results

Some schools are more successful at raising student achievement and reaching higher standards than others. We wanted to know what these schools were doing and how their practices could help other schools. The goal of this study is to reaffirm that high academic achievement for all students is possible and to examine the principles and practices that lead to success. Toward that end, a team of Arkansas researchers spoke with district leaders, principals, and teachers at schools in Arkansas and examined the practices of educators in those schools. Those practices are the subject of this summary report.

JFTK Best Practice Studies and Institutes cover specific strategies being used to build leadership capacity, offer intervention to students, make research-based selections of instructional programs, and much more. In addition to NCEA’s Executive Summary of individual state best practices, comprehensive studies for schools with diverse demographics are organized around an interactive JFTK Framework of Best Practices that is accessible at www.just4kids.org. Additionally, www.just4kids.org offers tools that allow schools and districts to conduct self-audits to see how their current practices align with The Framework.

Just for the Kids Study Process

Since 2001, NCEA as national sponsor of Just for the Kids, has been focused on finding and sharing excellence in educational practices through the study of consistently higher performing schools in partnership with state-based research and education organizations.

The structure of the JFTK Best Practice Framework is used to examine the successful practices of higher performing schools in each state.

The Framework is not a theoretical creation; it is based on the study of nearly 500 schools and systems across the nation. The Framework only includes the activities and practices that distinguish higher performing schools from average performing schools.

In The Framework, quality instruction is supported systemically by district and school practices, as well as by those in the classroom. It is also important to remember that the big picture helps us make sense of individual pieces.

Interconnectedness of practices is critical in The Framework. However, these programs and practices are presented as examples of what is working in some school systems and should not be interpreted as a prescriptive list of programs or strategies.

About the Arkansas Study

The 2005 JFTK-Arkansas Best Practice Study was made possible in part through national funding from The Broad Foundation and National Center for Educational Achievement, as well as with local support from the Arkansas Department of Education, State Chamber of Commerce/Associated Industries of Arkansas (ASCC/AIA), Arkansas Parent Teacher Association, National Office for Rural Measurement and Evaluation Systems (NORMES) at the University of Arkansas, Arkansas School Boards Association, Arkansas Association of Educational Administrators, Arkansas Education Association, Arkansas Rural Education Association , and Arkansans for Education Reform Foundation.

To learn more about higher performing middle schools studied in Arkansas, use the following information links:

• Arkansas Study Executive Summary
• www.Just4kids.org/AR
• Arkansas Research Contact: Jim Boardman, Assistant Commissioner for Information and Technology, Arkansas Department of Education
• Just for the Kids- Arkansas contact: Rebecca Tennille
• NCEA Institute Coordinator: Susan Whisenant

Use the table above to access school case studies.

The National Center for Educational Achievement is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN 01-0577238) whose founding organizations include Just for the Kids, The University of Texas at Austin, and the Education Commission of the States.

www.just4kids.org