Arkansas has shown significant improvement in education after implementing reforms, including a voucher system. The state’s scores have increased across every major area between 2024 and 2026.
Reform Details
The Arkansas Teaching, Learning and Assessment System, or ATLAS, includes higher pay for teachers, performance-based bonuses, and a voucher system for families. The result has been increasing proficiency scores, with mathematics increasing from 36.4% to 44.2%, science from 35.6% to 44%, and English language arts from 33.8% to 39.5%.
Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders has heralded the success of the LEARNS Act, a 2023 law that made sweeping changes to the state’s education system. The use of the voucher system has been fiercely opposed by teachers unions, who argue it will harm public education.
National Implications
The success of Arkansas’ education reform has implications for the national education system. It shows that state governments, not the federal government, are critical to reversing the decline in educational performance. The reform also highlights the importance of giving families alternatives and allowing them to send their children to schools with core educational priorities.
Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
