Shown verbatim: the complete text as captured from the official PDF posted by the Arkansas General Assembly, fetched 2026-07-23. Page and line markers are part of the official record; nothing is edited or removed. The official bill page.
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1 State of Arkansas A Bill
2 95th General Assembly
3 Regular Session, 2025 HOUSE BILL 1542
4
5 By: Representative Wooten
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7
8 For An Act To Be Entitled
9 AN ACT CONCERNING PRIVATE SCHOOLS; TO REQUIRE PRIVATE
10 SCHOOLS TO ADMINISTER AN ANNUAL STATEWIDE STUDENT
11 ASSESSMENT; TO REQUIRE PRIVATE SCHOOLS TO ADMIT EACH
12 STUDENT WHO APPLIES FOR ADMISSION AND INTENDS TO USE
13 STATE FUNDING TO COVER THE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH
14 ADMITTANCE AND ATTENDANCE AT THE PRIVATE SCHOOL; AND
15 FOR OTHER PURPOSES.
16
17
18 Subtitle
19 TO REQUIRE PRIVATE SCHOOLS TO ADMINISTER
20 AN ANNUAL STATEWIDE STUDENT ASSESSMENT;
21 AND TO REQUIRE PRIVATE SCHOOLS TO ADMIT
22 EACH STUDENT WHO APPLIES FOR ADMISSION
23 AND INTENDS TO COVER PRIVATE SCHOOL
24 COSTS WITH STATE FUNDING.
25
26 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS:
27
28 SECTION 1. Arkansas Code � 6-15-2006(a)(1)(B), concerning an annual
29 reporting of a student's statewide assessment test results, is amended to
30 read as follows:
31 (B) The A private school, as defined in � 6-15-2907, and a
32 school district board of directors shall report to the parent, guardian, or
33 the student, if the student is eighteen (18) years of age or older, the
34 student's results on each statewide assessment test.
35
36 SECTION 2. Arkansas Code � 6-15-2907(a), concerning the implementation
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1 of a statewide student assessment system, is amended to read as follows:
2 (a)(1) The Division of Elementary and Secondary Education shall
3 implement a statewide student assessment system to be administered by
4 Arkansas public schools and private schools on a schedule determined by the
5 State Board of Education that includes the following components:
6 (1)(A) Developmentally appropriate measurements or assessments
7 for kindergarten through grade two (K-2) in literacy and mathematics;
8 (2)(A)(B)(i) High-quality, evidence-based literacy screeners for
9 kindergarten through grade three (K-3).
10 (B)(i)(ii)(a) The division shall identify the
11 literacy screeners required under subdivision (a)(2)(A) subdivision
12 (a)(1)(B)(i) of this section, which shall meet the requirements of � 6-41-603
13 and may be the same screener used for dyslexia screening.
14 (ii)(b) The literacy screeners required under
15 subdivision (a)(2)(A) subdivision (a)(1)(B)(i) of this section shall be
16 utilized to determine student progression in reading in kindergarten through
17 grade three (K-3) and shall be:
18 (a)(1) Given during the first thirty
19 (30) days of the school year;
20 (b)(2) Repeated, if indicated, midyear;
21 and
22 (c)(3) Given at the end of the school
23 year.
24 (iii)(c) The division shall collect and publish
25 aggregated public school district, open-enrollment public charter school, and
26 overall state literacy assessment results annually by October 1;
27 (3)(C) Assessments to measure English language arts,
28 mathematics, and science as identified by the state board;
29 (4)(D) Assessments of English proficiency of all English
30 learners; and
31 (5)(A)(E)(i) Assessments to measure college and career
32 readiness.
33 (B)(i)(ii)(a) A public school or private school that
34 serves a student in grades ten through twelve (10-12) shall administer
35 college and career readiness assessments, including a career readiness
36 assessment that leads to a nationally recognized work readiness certificate,
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1 as determined by the state board to each student before he or she graduates
2 from high school.
3 (ii)(b) A career readiness assessment under
4 subdivision (a)(5)(B)(i) subdivision (a)(1)(E)(ii)(a) of this section may
5 include without limitation the ACT WorkKeys National Career Readiness
6 Certificate (NCRC).
7 (C)(i)(iii)(a) Public school districts may offer
8 additional college and career readiness assessments for students in grades
9 ten through twelve (10-12) at no cost to the student by using public school
10 district funding, including without limitation Enhanced Student Achievement
11 Funding under � 6-20-2305.
12 (ii)(b) A Platinum, Gold, Silver, or Bronze
13 credential through the ACT WorkKeys National Career Readiness Certificate
14 (NCRC) shall be used by an institution of higher education as transcribable
15 credit toward the attainment of a postsecondary technical degree.
16 (2) However, any costs associated with the administration of a
17 statewide student assessment system by a private school shall be entirely
18 covered by the private school.
19
20 SECTION 3. Arkansas Code � 6-15-2907(d)-(f), concerning requirements
21 regarding the statewide student assessment system, are amended to read as
22 follows:
23 (d) A public school district or private school, at its own expense,
24 may assess the academic achievement and growth of students by other means in
25 addition to the required statewide student assessment system.
26 (e) All students enrolled in a public school district or private
27 school shall participate in the statewide student assessment system.
28 (f) Public school district boards of directors and private schools
29 shall not establish school calendars that limit or interfere with student
30 participation in the statewide student assessment system.
31
32 SECTION 4. Arkansas Code � 6-15-2907(h), concerning requirements
33 regarding the statewide student assessment system, is amended to read as
34 follows:
35 (h) The division shall provide for statewide student assessments that
36 are:
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1 (1) Valid and reliable;
2 (2) Obtained or developed, as appropriate, through contracts and
3 project agreements;
4 (3) Aligned to the Arkansas academic standards; and
5 (4) Scored and returned for public school, and public school
6 district, and private school use by August 1 of each year.
7
8 SECTION 5. Arkansas Code � 6-15-2907(i)(1), concerning statewide
9 student assessment system security and confidentiality, is amended to read as
10 follows:
11 (i)(1) Public schools, public school districts, private schools, and
12 educators shall maintain assessment security and confidentiality.
13
14 SECTION 6. Arkansas Code � 6-15-2907(i)(3), concerning breach of
15 security and confidentiality requirements for the statewide student
16 assessment system, is amended to read as follows:
17 (3) A violation by a public school, a public school district, a
18 private school, or an educator of the security or confidential integrity of
19 any test or assessment may result in action by the state board under �� 6-17-
20 410 and 6-17-428 or under the rules promulgated by the state board to
21 implement this subchapter.
22
23 SECTION 7. Arkansas Code � 6-15-2907(l), concerning the analysis and
24 reporting of student performance data, is amended to read as follows:
25 (l) Public school districts and private schools shall analyze and
26 report student performance data to students, parents, and the community, if
27 the disclosures are not in conflict with applicable federal law and state
28 law.
29
30 SECTION 8. Arkansas Code � 6-15-2907, concerning the implementation of
31 a statewide student assessment system, is amended to add an additional
32 subsection to read as follows:
33 (m) As used in this section, "private school" means a nonpublic school
34 that:
35 (1) Offers instruction for students in kindergarten through
36 grade twelve (K-12) in this state; and
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1 (2) Receives any type of state funding in any amount.
2
3 SECTION 9. Arkansas Code � 6-15-2909(a), concerning dissemination of
4 personally identifiable information with regard to the public availability of
5 test instruments and scores, is amended to read as follows:
6 (a) Any material containing the personally identifiable information,
7 including without limitation identifiable scores, of individual students on
8 any test taken under the provisions of this subchapter shall not be:
9 (1) Considered a public record within the meaning of the Freedom
10 of Information Act of 1967, � 25-19-101 et seq.; or
11 (2) Disseminated or otherwise made available to the public by a
12 member of the State Board of Education, an employee of the Division of
13 Elementary and Secondary Education, a member of the board of directors of a
14 school district, an employee of a school district, an administrator or
15 employee of a private school, or any other person, except as permitted under
16 the provisions of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, 20
17 U.S.C. � 1232g, as it existed on January 1, 2017.
18
19 SECTION 10. Arkansas Code Title 6, Chapter 18, Subchapter 2, is
20 amended to add an additional section to read as follows:
21 6-18-237. Private school -- Admittance requirements.
22 (a)(1) A private school shall admit each student who:
23 (A) Applies for admission to the private school; and
24 (B) Intends to use state funds to cover the costs associated
25 with admittance and attendance at the private school.
26 (2)(A) A private school that accepts state funds may claim a
27 lack of capacity to admit a student who applies for admission to the private
28 school only if the private school has reached the maximum student-to-teacher
29 ratio permitted under federal law or other applicable state or federal rules.
30 (B) On or before May 31, a private school that accepts
31 state funds shall submit to the Division of Elementary and Secondary
32 Education a report detailing its capacity for the upcoming school year.
33 (b) As used in this section, "state funds" means without limitation
34 the use of any form of state funds awarded to a student, including without
35 limitation state funds awarded to a student under the following programs:
36 (1) The Philanthropic Investment in Arkansas Kids Program Act, �
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1 6-18-2301 et seq.; and
2 (2) The Arkansas Children's Educational Freedom Account Program,
3 � 6-18-2501 et seq.
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6 01/22/2025 4:08:41 PM TNL060Every fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record.