The preliminary testing dates for the 2025-2026 school year have been set. All testing must take place during the specified testing window provided on attached document. The dates for the required assessments at grades K-12 are indicated on the attached preliminary testing calendar.
ACT - All students in grade 11 must be given the opportunity to take the ACT. Each district must choose one of the two windows in which to conduct initial cohort testing.
ACT WorkKeys - All students in grades 10, 11, and 12 must be given the opportunity to take a single administration of each of the three WorkKeys subtests (Applied Math, Graphic Literacy, and Workplace Documents) before they graduate. The WorkKeys assessment may lead to a student earning a National Career Readiness Certificate. An NCRC measures workplace skills and is recognized by numerous employers across the nation.
Civics- All students seeking a high school diploma or high school equivalency diploma are required to pass the Arkansas Civics Exam. The Arkansas Civics Exam assesses a student's understanding of American government and history.
ELPA21 - All English language learners (ELLs) who qualify must be given the the English Language Proficiency Assessment for the 21st Century (ELPA21) assessment. The system will provide information to inform instruction so that all ELLs leave high school prepared for college and career success.
ALT ELPA - English language learners (ELLs) with the most significant cognitive disabilities must be given the the Alternate English Language Proficiency Assessment assessment. The system will provide information to inform instruction so that all ELLs leave high school prepared for college and career success.
Arkansas Teaching, Learning & Assessment System (ATLAS) Summative Assessment - Students in grades 3-High School will be given the ATLAS Summative Assessment in the content areas of English Language Arts (ELA), mathematics, science, Algebra I, Geometry and Biology.
Dynamic Learning Maps (DLM) - Qualifying students in each grade 3-10 will be given DLM for mathematics and ELA and 3-8 and grade 10 for science. Math and ELA are required on the DLM in both the fall and spring windows. The Fall Instructionally Embedded Window for science is optional. Science scores from the fall window are not part of the final summative scores for 2025-2026. However, it is recommended that students be given the opportunity to take the science testlets during the fall window.
ATLAS K-3 Literacy Screener and K-2 Assessments - Students in grades K-2 will be administered the K-2 Interim and Summative assessments in literacy and mathematics. These will be administered in the middle of the year and at the end of the year to monitor student progress toward grade level expectations. Screeners are given within the first 30 days of the school year to provide teachers with actionable data to inform instruction for literacy in grades K-3 and mathematics in grades K-2.