There’s good news about Arkansas education in a new report from the Southern Regional Education Board, in contrast to some recent news about stagnant overall test scores and a declining college-going rate.

Highlights from the new report, Arkansas: Looking Closer:

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Pre-K
The state led the region — and was fourth in the nation — in access to state-funded pre-K for 3-year-olds.

Eighth Grade
Hispanic eighth graders and eighth graders from low-income families matched the nation’s gains in reading achievement on NAEP at the Proficient level, narrowing the gaps for them and their peers.

High School
Arkansas’s state high school graduation rate exceeded the rates for the nation and the region.

College
Gains in the state’s first-year persistence rate for first-time, full-time students at public, four-year colleges and universities were the greatest in the SREB region.

Policy
Arkansas is the only state in the region that has adopted all of the recommendation of the SREB Commission on Computer Science policy recommendations.

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