State Improvement Grant Overview

The primary focus of Arkansas’ State Improvement Grant is to increase students’ academic performance and success in reading and to increase their interpersonal, problem solving, and conflict resolution skills. While we are specifically targeting students with disabilities, we also hope to increase all students’ skills in these areas so that fewer students will need special education support.  Read more...

Goal 1: Literacy

Through the use of trained teachers and the implementation of research-based information regarding the teaching of early literacy (reading and language skills), students with disabilities grades K-12 will make reading and other literacy gains.  Read more...

Goal 2: Positive Behavioral Supports/Mental Health

The social, emotional, and behavioral needs of students with disabilities will be met through the implementation of school- based prevention programs and school-based mental health services.  Read more...

 Goal 3: Retention/Recruitment/Funding Sources

 The number of fully qualified teachers serving students with disabilities who a re implementing research-based classroom strategies will increase through aggressive recruitment strategies, support provided to novice special education teachers with initial licensure in the Arkansas performance based licensure system, and mentoring support for beginning teachers to retain them and assist them in reaching full licensure.  Read more...

One of the ways to meet our challenges and these goals is to make sure that we have enough staff to provide the professional development, consultation, and technical assistance needed.  To accomplish this, we have added new staff this summer and, under Marcia Harding’s guidance and direction, “re-organized” existing staff (largely from ASERC—the Arkansas Special Education Resource Center) into a more effective and efficient alignment.  Currently, our “Organizational Chart” looks like this:

To get more information about the professional backgrounds of these exceptional people, please visit the “Staff” section.