Arkansas students saw overall improvement in their annual test scores, according to data released by state officials Thursday. 

The 2025-2026 academic year is the third time students have taken a new annual exam developed by state education officials called the Arkansas Teaching, Learning and Assessment System, or ATLAS. 

Arkansas students’ proficiency increased across every major content area between 2024 and 2026, 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%, according to an executive summary. Proficiency overall increased from 36.9% last year to 42.2% this year.

The number of students performing at the lowest level decreased across all subjects, with 23.1% scoring at Level 1 this year compared to 27.3% last year.

Full 2025-2026 growth scores and school ratings will be released in the fall, according to a news release. 

Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Thursday the scores demonstrate the success of the LEARNS Act, a 2023 law that made sweeping changes to the state’s education system, including creating a school voucher program.

“Since LEARNS went into effect, 44,000 more kids are learning at or above proficiency,” Sanders said at a news conference. “Improving a single kid’s education journey can be life-changing, and Arkansas just did that for 44,000 of them.”

Sanders highlighted the law’s deployment of 120 literacy tutors to low-performing schools, increased access to high-impact tutoring and grants for students to pursue additional assistance outside the classroom.

The LEARNS Act also includes a provision that prohibits students who don’t meet the state’s third-grade reading standard from being promoted to fourth grade. Education Secretary Jacob Oliva told lawmakers last year that students scoring a Level 1, which is below the standard, during the 2026 ATLAS exam would be reviewed but not automatically retained because the law allows for “good-cause exemptions.”

Nearly 97% of the hundreds of students who did not meet the literacy standard in the Springdale School District, the state’s largest, were given an exemption, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported. Districts can also allow students to retake the test.

The governor also cited the increase of the state’s minimum teacher salary from $36,000 to $50,000 under the law and its creation of the Merit Teacher Incentive Fund. Sanders announced 5,000 additional teachers will be recognized this year through this program and receive nearly $20 million in bonuses. 

Oliva said the greatest predictor of student outcomes is their teacher, who can receive scores quickly through ATLAS. The system also allows Arkansas teachers to craft their own assessments to measure progress throughout the year, which can inform their education strategies.

“If they’re getting supported, they have the right resources, they’re getting real-time feedback on student expectations, they’re going to be better,” Oliva said. 

The Arkansas Department of Education developed its own statewide assessment in 2023 to replace ACT Aspire, which was discontinued. While ACT Aspire was a national product that predicted career and college readiness, state education officials crafted ATLAS to measure students against the state standards they’re expected to learn.

This marks the third year of ATLAS testing for grades 3-8 and end-of-course statewide assessment, and the second year of foundational K-2 assessment.

Statewide test results demonstrated improvement in nationally monitored grades, including 4th and 8th grade, according to the executive summary. Between 2024 and 2026, Grade 4 mathematics increased from 38% to 47.1% proficiency and Grade 8 mathematics increased from 27.5% to 36.3%. 

The ATLAS assessment indicates students are improving in grade levels that are tested and nationally compared through the National Assessment of Educational Progress assessment, also called “the Nation’s Report Card,” according to the executive summary. This national assessment compares Arkansas’ results with other states, and is expected to be available in late 2026 or early 2027.

Arkansas Advocate is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Arkansas Advocate maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Andrew DeMillo for questions: info@arkansasadvocate.com.