State Education Board Votes To Adopt ACT Testing For Arkansas Students

Alexis Rogers with our content partner, KATV Ch. 7 News, reports:

Just last month, the Arkansas Board of Education voted against having a sole contract with ACT for ACT Aspire testing.

Thursday was a different story.

Four Arkansas Board of Education members voted in favor of sole contracting with the ACT Aspire testing. Two members voted against and two members chose to abstain their vote altogether.

Board member Dr. Jay Barth was one of the members who chose to abstain.

“I recognize that we were at a point where an impasse with the governor was not healthy for anyone. The only thing I could do in terms of my judgment and my conscience was abstain from the vote and not obstruct it,” Barth said. “I think this was rushed. I think it would’ve been right by our teachers, professional educators and children to delay a year.”

Barth told Channel 7 News it was not the test itself he was not in favor of, but it was the process of adopting it.

“It didn’t have to be PARCC, just have the elements of PARCC and then carry out an RFP process. That’s the process we’ve abided by in the past. I think it would’ve been the right thing to do. I think it’s worked well for us,” Barth said.

Although some are against the change, others like Bonnie Haynie, the Federal Programs and District Test Coordinator for the El Dorado School District, said she is pleased about future possibilities.

“There’s not a person in Arkansas that doesn’t understand what an ACT score means. It’s a college scholarship. It’s an athletic scholarship. It’s a ticket to college. We are so excited,” Haynie said. “With the PARCC has been designed to supposedly test college and career readiness. But it has no validity because of the lack of time it’s had to be used. My greatest concern with it was the amount of time it took to test.”

Haynie said she has confidence the ACT Aspire test will get Arkansas students on the right track.

“The Aspire, I hope, will direct – like Mr. Simmons said – our economically disadvantaged children to prepare them to be successful and be in college. That’s what we want,” Haynie said. “47 states used the Act Aspire last year, not necessarily as their state test, but as a measurement of their students’ readiness for college. Over 3.2 million students took the ACT Aspire last year.“

Gov. Asa Hutchinson issued the following statement on the Board of Education’s vote on testing, applauding its decision to switch from PARCC to ACT testing:

“I applaud the Board of Education for its vote in switching from PARCC to ACT/ACT Aspire. The board members were thoughtful and deliberate on this issue and reached a final decision that I think is best for our students and teachers over the long term. It provides stability and aligns Arkansas with a nationally recognized testing system.

“I appreciate the hard work of the Board and the meaningful discussions it held on this issue. Its willingness to move away from PARCC and seek this new contract is an indication of the Board’s continued dedication to putting Arkansas’s students first. I especially want to thank Commissioner Key, the Department of Education and members of the Common Core Review Council for their hard work in addressing this matter.”

If adopted, 9th and 10th graders would take the ACT Aspire test. 11th graders would have the option of taking the ACT. Arkansas schools will start using this testing in the upcoming 2015-2016 school year.

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