Little Rock, Ark. – On Thursday, the Arkansas Department of Education acknowledged that an unlocked spreadsheet posted on its website caused a sorting error, leading some parents and educators to see mismatched letter grades for schools. Assistant Commissioner Stacy Smith explained to the State Board of Education that the spreadsheet was intended to provide a single, convenient view of all public and charter school grades for the 2025‑26 school year.
What went wrong
After the department released the official grades on September 17, it also uploaded a spreadsheet to the public site. Because the file was left “unlocked,” anyone could rearrange the rows without the corresponding letter grades moving with the school names. The result was a list where the order of schools no longer matched the order of grades, creating confusion among readers who compared the file to the grades posted on myschoolinfo.arkansas.gov.
Smith said the department quickly recognized the problem and removed the file. “Folks were going and seeing it, and then as soon as we realized that we had a spreadsheet posted that was unlocked, it was pulled down,” she told the board.
Official grades remain accurate
According to Smith, the grades that superintendents received directly from the department and the grades displayed on the official website are correct. The Arkansas Teaching and Learning Assessment System (ATLAS) grades are based on student performance in math, science and English language arts, as well as growth metrics for the lowest‑performing 25 percent of students. Graduation rates are also factored into high school and district grades.
Media scrutiny and response
Local newspapers, including the Monroe County Argus and the Helena World, reported on the discrepancy and noted that a second version of the spreadsheet also appeared on the department’s site before both files vanished. Department spokeswoman Kaelin Clay declined to comment on the cause of the sorting error, stating only that the information currently on the website is “accurate and up to date.” Andrew Bagley, publisher of the Argus and World, expressed skepticism, saying the investigation is ongoing.
Clay did not answer a request from the Arkansas Democrat‑Gazette for details about who mistakenly sorted the spreadsheet or whether a corrected version will be reposted.
Why the grading system matters
The letter‑grade system, now in its second year, provides a transparent snapshot of school performance for parents, teachers and community members. By emphasizing growth among the lowest‑performing quarter of students, the system encourages districts to focus resources on those who need the most help, aligning with the state’s commitment to educational excellence and parental involvement.
State officials encourage families to verify their school’s grade directly on the official portal rather than relying on third‑party files. The department also plans to improve its data‑release procedures to prevent similar errors in the future.
Original reporting: Texarkana Gazette — read the source article.
