Spotlighting LEARNS in Action

As Arkansas marks three years of the LEARNS Act, Forward Arkansas is spotlighting how educators and communities are harnessing its policies to drive student progress. The statewide nonprofit’s new microsite offers a deep dive into key provisions of the law, including high-impact tutoring (HIT), teacher preparation, literacy coaching, merit pay and early childhood care and education. Those interested in exploring LEARNS in action may visit movingarforward.org.

“With any education policy, effective implementation is key to impact,” said Ben Kutylo, Forward’s president and CEO. “Through this new microsite, we are inviting Arkansans to hear directly from teachers and leaders putting these initiatives and innovations into action to advance student learning.”

Along with digestible takeaways and video interviews, the microsite includes five in-depth case studies featuring the Hamburg School District’s HIT program, Southern Arkansas University’s Rider Residency, the Arkansas Department of Education’s (ADE) literacy coaching initiative, the Merit Teacher Incentive Fund and the Office of Early Childhood’s local leads initiative. Highlights of the case studies include:

• Through an outcomes-based contract, Hamburg School District expanded its digital HIT initiative to include eligible students in grades K-10. Mid-year reading assessments showed promising growth, with 84% of HIT students’ SmartScore points moving from “below proficient” to “mastery.”
• Southern Arkansas University has transformed its educator preparation program to be more practice-based, boosting both teacher readiness and retention. In the 2024-2025 school year, 77% of Rider Residents stayed to teach in the schools where they completed their training—up from the previous rate of 20%.
• ADE’s experienced literacy specialists are helping strengthen instruction through a research-based coaching model. In participating schools in the Jacksonville North Pulaski School District, data show measurable improvements in student achievement.
• In the 2024-2025 school year, nearly 4,300 teachers—more than 10% of the educator workforce—received merit pay. These investments go beyond a single paycheck, with data suggesting the bonuses will help current and future educators remain in the field.
• In rural areas like Independence County, which faces limited child care availability, the collaboration fostered by local leads has helped providers and communities address pressing challenges, such as the unexpected closure of a Batesville center that would have left 60 families without care.