ATLAS Guided Professional Series for Educators, Part Five: Introduction to Formative Assessment

This course is about formative assessment practice—what it is, why it matters, and how it can change the way you and your students work together in the classroom.

Learning Goals

• understand formative assessment as a process of using evidence to support learning—for both teachers and students, and
• see how the roles of teacher and student shift when formative assessment becomes part of everyday classroom life.

Success Criteria

• explain what formative assessment practice is—and what it is not, and
• describe how teachers and students take on new roles in formative assessment classrooms.

ATLAS Guided Professional Series for Educators, Part Four: Interpreting and Using Assessment Data

Learning Goals

• explore different tools and strategies for evaluating student work and when to use them,
• explain how well-designed rubrics help you make sense of evidence of learning, and
• identify best practices for using data effectively to inform classroom decisions.

Success Criteria

• apply these ideas by identifying specific actions you can take in your own classroom to evaluate and respond to evidence of student learning more effectively, and
• plan a collaborative data review meeting with one or more colleagues.

ATLAS Guided Professional Series for Educators, Part Three: Designing and Selecting High-Quality Assessment Tools and Practices

Understanding what students know and can do is at the heart of good teaching, whether for next steps for individual students or for planning upcoming instruction for your class. But not all assessments are created equal. Too often, students spend valuable time on assessment activities that do not help teachers make better instructional decisions, either because the assessment is not well-designed or the right tool for the job.

Learning Goals

• develop an understanding of key assessment literacy concepts and terminology,
• understand the principle of how evidence-centered design can help you elicit meaningful evidence of student learning, and 
• explore the criteria that define high-quality assessment tools and practices. 

Success Criteria

• apply principles of evidence-centered design to your assessment practice, and
• use criteria to evaluate assessment tools and practices for your intended purposes.

ATLAS Guided Professional Series for Educators, Part Two: Coherent and Effective Classroom Assessment Systems

In this course, you will explore different assessment types in your classroom and how to use what you learn from assessments to help students reach their learning goals throughout the school year. You will also reflect on your own classroom and make decisions about which assessment practices you can use that best support student learning.

Learning Goals

• examine the role of different assessment types in supporting student learning in the classroom, 
• explore how components of the ATLAS system support classroom-level decisions, and
• discover how teachers can create coherent and effective classroom assessment systems. 

Success Criteria

• develop a written vision for assessment in your classroom with actionable steps, 
• reflect on the current balance of assessment activities in your classroom and compare it to your vision for classroom assessment, and 
• identify next steps for improving your classroom assessment system to better reflect your vision.

ATLAS Guided Professional Series for Educators, Part One: Coherent and Effective Local Assessment Systems

The purpose of this course is to build an understanding of local assessment systems and the key characteristics that make them coherent and effective. You will review the purpose and appropriate use of various assessment tools and practice, including those available through the ATLAS system, and explore how assessment and data literacy play a critical role in supporting student learning. 

Learning Goals

• develop an understanding of the purpose and appropriate use of different assessment tools and practices in a coherent and effective local assessment system, including assessments from the ATLAS system, 
• explore the characteristics of an assessment system that is coherent and effective, and
• gain an understanding of the role of assessment and data literacy in leveraging a coherent and effective assessment system to improve student learning outcomes. 

Success Criteria

• identify the purpose and use of different assessment tools and practices in your local assessment system, 
• reflect on strengths and opportunities for improvement in your local assessment system, and
• define assessment and data literacy for yourself and assess you own skills.

Using Evaluation Data to Plan for Specially Designed Instruction

This course utilizes High-Leverage Practices 4, 5, and 6 to provide the learner with an overview of the types of data that a special education teacher will use when planning specially designed instruction, emphasizing the importance of using a variety of assessment techniques to evaluate students with special needs. Learners will delve into how a special education teacher, along with members of the IEP team, can effectively communicate assessment results to families and collaborate with them to create a well-designed IEP that reflects the student’s strengths and areas of need. Finally, the course will address how data is used to determine special education eligibility, inform instructional practices, and monitor progress.

Choose Tomorrow: Youth Suicide Awareness & Prevention

This course provides educators with a comprehensive understanding of youth suicide awareness, prevention, and response. It emphasizes the importance of recognizing warning signs, understanding risk and protective factors, and taking immediate, appropriate action when students are in crisis. Through expert discussions, real-world scenarios, and personal stories, the course highlights the critical role of relationships and communication in preventing suicide. It also addresses the growing influence of technology, including both its risks and its potential as a prevention tool. Educators are guided on how to respond to crises, support grieving communities, and foster safe, connected school environments. A central message throughout is that small actions such as listening, asking directly, and showing care can save lives. Ultimately, the course reinforces that building a supportive school culture is one of the most powerful ways to protect student mental health.

This course meets the suicide awareness and prevention components of ACA 6-17-708.

Working Together: Building Meaningful Family and Community Engagement in Arkansas Schools

Family and community engagement is a critical component of student success and a shared responsibility among schools, families, and communities. When schools move beyond surface-level involvement and build meaningful partnerships, students experience stronger academic outcomes, improved behavior, and greater overall well-being. But effective engagement does not happen by chance; it requires planning, clear communication, and a commitment to collaboration.

In this course, host Freddie Scott from the Arkansas Department of Education guides viewers through the legal foundations and practical strategies that support meaningful family and community engagement in Arkansas schools. Through expert insights and real-world examples from educators across the state, participants will explore how to build trust with families, implement effective communication practices, create inclusive opportunities for involvement, and leverage community resources to support student learning. From understanding the requirements of engagement plans to seeing how schools bring those plans to life, this course highlights both the “what” and the “why” behind effective engagement.

This course meets the family and community engagement requirements of ACA 6-15-1703.

Unveiled: Daisy Bates and Johnny Cash

This Arkansas history course is based on the documentary Unveiled: Daisy Bates and Johnny Cash. The documentary traces Arkansas’s decision to replace its statues in the U.S. Capitol with figures who better reflect the state’s values and lived experiences, ultimately choosing civil rights leader Daisy Bates and musician Johnny Cash. It follows the artists selected to create the statues and shows how their personal histories and artistic philosophies shaped the work. The film then explores the early lives of Bates and Cash, highlighting how poverty, loss, and injustice influenced their paths and motivated their lifelong service to others. Through civil rights leadership and music, both figures used their voices to uplift people and confront hardship. The story concludes with the unveiling of the statues in Statuary Hall, emphasizing their lasting impact on Arkansas, the nation, and the importance of honoring those who shaped history through courage, resilience, and compassion. 

Safety First: Securing Arkansas Schools