| 13 | | - | AN ACT CONCERNING STANDARDIZED ASSESSMENTS; TO AMEND 9 |
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| 14 | | - | THE UNIVERSAL ACT ASSESSMENT PROGRAM ACT; TO AMEND 10 |
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| 15 | | - | THE TYPES OF ASSESSMENTS PUBLIC SCHOOLS MAY PROVIDE 11 |
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| 16 | | - | TO STUDENTS; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES. 12 |
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| 17 | | - | 13 |
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| 18 | | - | 14 |
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| 19 | | - | Subtitle 15 |
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| 20 | | - | TO AMEND THE UNIVERSAL ACT ASSESSMENT 16 |
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| 21 | | - | PROGRAM ACT; AND TO AMEND THE TYPES OF 17 |
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| 22 | | - | ASSESSMENTS PUBLIC SCHOOLS MAY PROVIDE 18 |
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| 23 | | - | TO STUDENTS. 19 |
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| 24 | | - | 20 |
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| 25 | | - | BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: 21 |
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| 26 | | - | 22 |
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| 27 | | - | SECTION 1. Arkansas Code Title 6, Chapter 18, Subchapter 16 is amended 23 |
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| 28 | | - | to read as follows: 24 |
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| 29 | | - | Subchapter 16 — Universal ACT Assessment Program Act 25 |
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| 30 | | - | 26 |
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| 31 | | - | 6-18-1601. Title. 27 |
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| 32 | | - | This subchapter shall be known and may be cited as the “Universal ACT 28 |
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| 33 | | - | Assessment Program Act”. 29 |
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| 34 | | - | 30 |
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| 35 | | - | 6-18-1602. Definitions Definition. 31 |
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| 36 | | - | As used in this subchapter: 32 |
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| 37 | | - | (1)(A) “ACT Assessment” "Assessment" means a test of student 33 |
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| 38 | | - | educational development that measures student readiness for future learning 34 |
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| 39 | | - | and that may be used by institutions of higher education as part of their 35 |
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| 40 | | - | admissions, placement, and scholarship processes and by high schools to 36 As Engrossed: S2/4/25 S2/25/25 S2/25/25 S3/4/25 SB183 |
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| 11 | + | AN ACT CONCERNING STANDARDIZED ASSESSMENTS FOR 9 |
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| 12 | + | COLLEGE ADMISSION PURPOSES; TO REQUIRE EACH PUBLIC 10 |
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| 13 | + | SCHOOL TO OFFER STUDENTS THE OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE THE 11 |
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| 14 | + | CLASSIC LEARNING TEST; TO REQUIRE EACH STATE -12 |
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| 15 | + | SUPPORTED INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION TO ACCEPT 13 |
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| 16 | + | AN APPLICANT'S SCORE ON THE CLASSIC LEARNING TEST FOR 14 |
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| 17 | + | PURPOSES OF ADMISSION; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES. 15 |
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| 18 | + | 16 |
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| 19 | + | 17 |
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| 20 | + | Subtitle 18 |
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| 21 | + | CONCERNING STANDARDIZED ASSESSMENTS FOR 19 |
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| 22 | + | COLLEGE ADMISSION PURPOSES. 20 |
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| 23 | + | 21 |
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| 24 | + | BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: 22 |
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| 25 | + | 23 |
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| 26 | + | SECTION 1. Arkansas Code Title 6, Chapter 18, Subchapter 1, is amended 24 |
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| 27 | + | to add an additional section to read as follows: 25 |
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| 28 | + | 6-18-116. Standardized Testing Choice Act — Creation — Requirements — 26 |
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| 29 | + | Definition. 27 |
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| 30 | + | (a) This section shall be known and may be cited as the "Standardized 28 |
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| 31 | + | Testing Choice Act". 29 |
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| 32 | + | (b) As used in this section, "CLT" means the Classic Learning Test 30 |
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| 33 | + | administered by Classic Learning Initiatives, LLC. 31 |
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| 34 | + | (c) Each public school district and open -enrollment public charter 32 |
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| 35 | + | shall provide each student the opportunity to take the following assessments: 33 |
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| 36 | + | (1) In grades nine (9) and ten (10), the PreACT exam, the CLT10, 34 |
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| 37 | + | or the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test; and 35 |
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| 38 | + | (2) In grades eleven (11) and twelve (12), the CLT as an 36 SB183 |
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| 42 | | - | 2 03-04-2025 14:06:59 TNL050 |
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| 43 | | - | |
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| 44 | | - | |
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| 45 | | - | improve college and workforce readiness ; and 1 |
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| 46 | | - | (2) “Smart Core” means: 2 |
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| 47 | | - | (A) The college and career readiness curriculum by that 3 |
|---|
| 48 | | - | name under the rules of the State Board of Education; or 4 |
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| 49 | | - | (B) A college and career readiness curriculum that is: 5 |
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| 50 | | - | (i) Established by rules of the state board in 6 |
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| 51 | | - | coordination with the Division of Higher Education; and 7 |
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| 52 | | - | (ii) Substituted for the curriculum named “Smart 8 |
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| 53 | | - | Core”. 9 |
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| 54 | | - | (B) "Assessment" includes without limitation: 10 |
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| 55 | | - | (i) The ACT test; 11 |
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| 56 | | - | (ii) The SAT; 12 |
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| 57 | | - | (iii) The CLT; 13 |
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| 58 | | - | (iv) The PreACT; 14 |
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| 59 | | - | (v) The PSAT 8/9; 15 |
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| 60 | | - | (vi) The PSAT 10; 16 |
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| 61 | | - | (vii) The Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship 17 |
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| 62 | | - | Qualifying Test; 18 |
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| 63 | | - | (viii) The CLT 10; or 19 |
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| 64 | | - | (ix) The PreACT 8/9; and 20 |
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| 65 | | - | (2) "CLT" means the Classic Learning Test administered by Class 21 |
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| 66 | | - | Learning Initiatives, LLC. 22 |
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| 67 | | - | 23 |
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| 68 | | - | 6-18-1603. Creation. 24 |
|---|
| 69 | | - | There is created in the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education 25 |
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| 70 | | - | the Universal ACT Assessment Program to be developed, implemented, and 26 |
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| 71 | | - | administered by the division as provided in this subchapter. 27 |
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| 72 | | - | 28 |
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| 73 | | - | 6-18-1604. Purpose. 29 |
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| 74 | | - | The purpose of the Universal ACT Assessment Program is to: 30 |
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| 75 | | - | (1) Improve the college readiness of all students in grade 31 |
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| 76 | | - | eleven (11); 32 |
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| 77 | | - | (2) Prevent or minimize the continued remediation of nearly 33 |
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| 78 | | - | fifty percent (50%) of all students entering Arkansas institutions of higher 34 |
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| 79 | | - | education in one (1) or more subjects because they do not meet the college 35 |
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| 80 | | - | recommended readiness score of nineteen (19) or higher on the ACT Assessment 36 As Engrossed: S2/4/25 S2/25/25 S2/25/25 S3/4/25 SB183 |
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| 81 | | - | |
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| 83 | | - | |
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| 84 | | - | |
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| 85 | | - | an assessment; 1 |
|---|
| 86 | | - | (3) Advance the number of students, including students of low 2 |
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| 87 | | - | income, English-language learners, and minority students, taking the ACT 3 |
|---|
| 88 | | - | Assessment an assessment while in grade eleven (11) to increase the number of 4 |
|---|
| 89 | | - | first-generation college students; 5 |
|---|
| 90 | | - | (4) Increase the college participation rates among all racial 6 |
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| 91 | | - | and ethnic groups; 7 |
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| 92 | | - | (5) Improve preparation for college and the workforce; 8 |
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| 93 | | - | (6) Improve the course selection patterns of high school 9 |
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| 94 | | - | students; 10 |
|---|
| 95 | | - | (7) Increase the early identification of college -ready students; 11 |
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| 96 | | - | and 12 |
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| 97 | | - | (8) Support students participating in the Smart Core by 13 |
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| 98 | | - | providing a baseline for their college and workforce readiness and an 14 |
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| 99 | | - | opportunity to benefit from earlier remediation or course selection review; 15 |
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| 100 | | - | and 16 |
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| 101 | | - | (9) Provide a link between what students have learned, what they 17 |
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| 102 | | - | need to learn, and what is necessary in order to be college or workforce 18 |
|---|
| 103 | | - | ready, or both, by providing expectations and measuring their progress. 19 |
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| 104 | | - | 20 |
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| 105 | | - | 6-18-1605. Smart Core and ACT Assessment. 21 |
|---|
| 106 | | - | (a) The General Assembly finds that students who take the recommended 22 |
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| 107 | | - | Smart Core courses or students who take additional courses after completing 23 |
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| 108 | | - | the Smart Core continue to perform better on the ACT Assessment than students 24 |
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| 109 | | - | who take less than the recommended core. 25 |
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| 110 | | - | (b) The recommended core courses according to ACT Assessment officials 26 |
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| 111 | | - | include: 27 |
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| 112 | | - | (1) Four (4) years or more of English; 28 |
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| 113 | | - | (2) Three (3) years or more of mathematics; 29 |
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| 114 | | - | (3) Three (3) years or more of social studies; and 30 |
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| 115 | | - | (4) Three (3) years or more of natural sciences. 31 |
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| 116 | | - | 32 |
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| 117 | | - | 6-18-1606. Implementation. 33 |
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| 118 | | - | (a) Beginning with the 2017-2018 2025-2026 school year, the Universal 34 |
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| 119 | | - | ACT Assessment Program may provide each student in grades nine (9), ten (10), 35 |
|---|
| 120 | | - | eleven (11), or twelve (12) with the opportunity to take the ACT Assessment 36 As Engrossed: S2/4/25 S2/25/25 S2/25/25 S3/4/25 SB183 |
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| 121 | | - | |
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| 122 | | - | 4 03-04-2025 14:06:59 TNL050 |
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| 123 | | - | |
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| 124 | | - | |
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| 125 | | - | an assessment while in grades nine (9), ten (10), eleven (11), or twelve (12) 1 |
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| 126 | | - | without any charge by using school district funding provided to public school 2 |
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| 127 | | - | districts and open-enrollment public charter schools , including without 3 |
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| 128 | | - | limitation National School Lunch Act funds, 42 U.S.C. § 1751 et seq., to pay 4 |
|---|
| 129 | | - | for the exams assessments as approved by the Division of Elementary and 5 |
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| 130 | | - | Secondary Education. 6 |
|---|
| 131 | | - | (b) A Each public school district and open-enrollment public charter 7 |
|---|
| 132 | | - | school shall allow a student to choose to take the ACT Assessment the 8 |
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| 133 | | - | following assessments under subsection (a) of this section in grade ten (10) 9 |
|---|
| 134 | | - | or grade eleven (11) : 10 |
|---|
| 135 | | - | (1) One (1) of the following in grades nine (9) or ten (10): 11 |
|---|
| 136 | | - | (A) The PreACT; 12 |
|---|
| 137 | | - | (B) The PSAT 8/9; 13 |
|---|
| 138 | | - | (C) The Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship 14 |
|---|
| 139 | | - | Qualifying Test; 15 |
|---|
| 140 | | - | (D) The PreACT 8/9; 16 |
|---|
| 141 | | - | (E) The PSAT 10; or 17 |
|---|
| 142 | | - | (F) The CLT 10; and 18 |
|---|
| 143 | | - | (2) One (1) of the following in grade eleven (11): 19 |
|---|
| 144 | | - | (A) The ACT; 20 |
|---|
| 145 | | - | (B) The SAT; or 21 |
|---|
| 146 | | - | (C) The CLT. 22 |
|---|
| 147 | | - | (c) A public school district or an open -enrollment public charter 23 |
|---|
| 148 | | - | school shall offer and enable a student, upon the student's request, to take 24 |
|---|
| 149 | | - | the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery at the public school district 25 |
|---|
| 150 | | - | or open-enrollment public charter school. " 26 |
|---|
| 151 | | - | 27 |
|---|
| 152 | | - | 6-18-1607. Rules. 28 |
|---|
| 153 | | - | The Division of Higher Education and the Division of Elementary and 29 |
|---|
| 154 | | - | Secondary Education shall develop rules for the administration of this 30 |
|---|
| 155 | | - | subchapter. 31 |
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| 156 | | - | 32 |
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| 157 | | - | 6-18-1608. Reporting. 33 |
|---|
| 158 | | - | The Division of Higher Education and the Division of Elementary and 34 |
|---|
| 159 | | - | Secondary Education shall submit a combined annual report to the Legislative 35 |
|---|
| 160 | | - | Council by December 1 of each year that establishes: 36 As Engrossed: S2/4/25 S2/25/25 S2/25/25 S3/4/25 SB183 |
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| 161 | | - | |
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| 162 | | - | 5 03-04-2025 14:06:59 TNL050 |
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| 163 | | - | |
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| 164 | | - | |
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| 165 | | - | (1) Establishes compliance with this subchapter , provides; 1 |
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| 166 | | - | (2) Provides data on the number of participants in the Universal 2 |
|---|
| 167 | | - | ACT Assessment Program,; and outlines 3 |
|---|
| 168 | | - | (3) Outlines the impact of this program on the college readiness 4 |
|---|
| 169 | | - | of high school seniors and the remediation rates at institutions of higher 5 |
|---|
| 170 | | - | education. 6 |
|---|
| 171 | | - | 7 |
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| 172 | | - | /s/J. Dotson 8 |
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| 173 | | - | 9 |
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| 174 | | - | 10 |
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| 175 | | - | APPROVED: 4/17/25 11 |
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| 176 | | - | 12 |
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| 177 | | - | 13 |
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| 178 | | - | 14 |
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| 40 | + | 2 02/03/2025 4:20:51 PM TNL050 |
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| 41 | + | alternative or in addition to the ACT test provided under the Universal ACT 1 |
|---|
| 42 | + | Assessment Program Act, § 6 -18-1601 et seq. 2 |
|---|
| 43 | + | 3 |
|---|
| 44 | + | SECTION 2. Arkansas Code Title 6, Chapter 80, Subchapter 1, is amended 4 |
|---|
| 45 | + | to add an additional section to read as follows: 5 |
|---|
| 46 | + | 6-80-110. Acceptable assessments for purposes of admission — 6 |
|---|
| 47 | + | Definition. 7 |
|---|
| 48 | + | (a) As used in this section, "CLT" means the Classic Learning Test 8 |
|---|
| 49 | + | administered by Classic Learning Initiatives, LLC. 9 |
|---|
| 50 | + | (b) A state-supported institution of higher education shall accept an 10 |
|---|
| 51 | + | applicant's score on any of the following for purposes of admission: 11 |
|---|
| 52 | + | (1) The ACT test; 12 |
|---|
| 53 | + | (2) The SAT; or 13 |
|---|
| 54 | + | (3) The CLT. 14 |
|---|