1
How Are Letter Grades Earned?
Stakeholders requested Arkansas align all accountability systems. The Arkansas Every
Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) plan (federal) was approved January 16, 2018. Act 744
of 2017 aligned the state accountability systems with the federal requirements and
permitted the use of the ESSA School Index score as the universal score for
accountability.
Steps for Assigning Letter Grades Earned
The ESSA School Index score and stakeholder recommended rating scale are used to
determine the letter grades for schools. The following steps are utilized to determine
letter grades or school ratings:
1. First each school is assigned to a grade span based on the grades the school
serves - elementary, middle or high school.
https://dese.ade.arkansas.gov/Files/20201214170240_Grade_Ranges_and_Ra
tings_10_7_2020.pdf
2. Then a schools’ overall ESSA School Index score is calculated by determining
the school’s weighted achievement score, value added growth score, graduation
rate, and school quality and student success score.
https://dese.ade.arkansas.gov/Files/20201126143234_What_is_the_ESSA_Sch
ool_Index.pdf. The scores are multiplied by the following weights:
Weight of Indicator
within Index for Grade
Spans
Elementary & Middle
Weight of Indicator within Index for
Grade Span High School
Weighted Achievement
Indicator
35% Weighted Achievement
and Academic Growth
Indicators
70% total
with Weighted Achievement accounting
for half (35%) and Growth Score
accounting for half (35%)
Growth Indicator
Academic Growth
and English Language
Progress
50%
Graduation Rate Indicator
4-Year Adjusted Cohort
Rate
5-Year Adjusted Cohort
Rate
NA Graduation Rate Indicator
4-Year Adjusted Cohort
Rate
5-Year Adjusted Cohort
Rate
15% total
4-Yr = 10%
5-Yr = 5%
School Quality and
Student Success Indicator
15%
School Quality and
Student Success Indicator
15%
2
3. Finally, the total score for each school will determine the school rating. The
school ratings for each grade span are listed below:
Grade Span Letter Grade Cut Scores effective October 1, 2018
Elementary A
79.26 <= Score
B
72.17
- 79.25
C
64.98
- 72.16
D
58.09
- 64.97
F
Score < 58.09
Middle A
75.59 <=
Score
B
69.94
- 75.58
C
63.73
- 69.93
D
53.58
- 63.72
F
Score < 53.58
High School A
73.22 <= Score
B
67.96
- 73.21
C
61.10
- 67.95
D
52.95
- 61.09
F
Score < 52.95
Arkansas Department of Education Rules Governing Public School Rating Systems on
Annual School Performance and the School Recognition Program, Effective October 1,
2018
https://dese.ade.arkansas.gov/Files/20201102115047_ade_334_--
_Rules_Governing_the_School_Rating_System.pdf
