by Talk Business & Politics staff (staff2@talkbusiness.net)
Forward Arkansas on Tuesday (Feb. 7) pitched ideas to improve education outcomes. The ideas, which include more pre-K access and better workforce training, come as Gov. Sarah Sanders has promised – but not yet delivered – a broad set of education system changes.
The Little Rock-based research organization established in 2015 by the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation and Walton Family Foundation to focus on better education outcomes, gathered input from thousands of Arkansans in the study that began in June 2022.
The report, “The State of Education in Arkansas 2023 Report: Growing Together for a Stronger Future,” presented the following three key findings.
• Despite slight improvements prior to the pandemic, Arkansas student academic outcomes were severely lagging before COVID-19 and worsened during pandemic disruptions.
• Students are leaving K-12 unprepared for college and career opportunities.
• Since 2015, initiatives have been launched to address critical and foundational issues that the state can build on to accelerate progress.
