ATLAS Arkansas Education Standards 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What does ATLAS stand for in the context of Arkansas education?
- Advanced Testing and Learning Assessment System
- Arkansas Teaching and Learning Assessment System (Correct answer)
- Arkansas Total Learning and Academic Standards
- Achievement Testing for Learning and Academic Success
Correct answer: Arkansas Teaching and Learning Assessment System
ATLAS stands for Arkansas Teaching and Learning Assessment System, the state's K–12 standardized assessment program.
Question 2: Which Arkansas state agency oversees the ATLAS assessment program?
- Arkansas Department of Health
- Arkansas Department of Education (ADE) (Correct answer)
- Arkansas Board of Regents
- Arkansas State Legislature only
Correct answer: Arkansas Department of Education (ADE)
The Arkansas Department of Education (ADE) oversees and administers the ATLAS assessment program for K–12 students statewide.
Question 3: The ATLAS assessment is aligned to which set of academic standards in Arkansas?
- Common Core State Standards only, unadapted
- Arkansas Academic Standards (AAS), developed and adopted by Arkansas (Correct answer)
- National standards set by the federal government with no state input
- Standards borrowed entirely from Texas TEKS
Correct answer: Arkansas Academic Standards (AAS), developed and adopted by Arkansas
ATLAS is aligned to the Arkansas Academic Standards (AAS), which were developed and adopted by Arkansas to reflect the state's educational priorities.
Question 4: In which grades does Arkansas administer the ATLAS summative assessment for English Language Arts and Mathematics?
- Only grades 1 and 2
- Grades 3 through 8 and selected high school grades (Correct answer)
- Only grades 9–12
- Grades K through 2 only
Correct answer: Grades 3 through 8 and selected high school grades
ATLAS ELA and Math summative assessments are administered in grades 3–8 and certain high school grades as required by state and federal accountability laws.
Question 5: What is the primary purpose of the ATLAS assessment program in Arkansas?
- To rank students for college admissions only
- To measure student achievement of Arkansas Academic Standards and inform instruction and accountability (Correct answer)
- To replace teacher grades entirely
- To determine which students must repeat a grade in all cases
Correct answer: To measure student achievement of Arkansas Academic Standards and inform instruction and accountability
ATLAS measures how well Arkansas students are meeting state academic standards and provides data to improve instruction and school accountability.
Question 6: Which federal law requires Arkansas to administer the ATLAS summative assessments in specific grade bands?
- No Child Left Behind Act only
- Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) (Correct answer)
- Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
- Higher Education Act
Correct answer: Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)
The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requires states, including Arkansas, to administer annual assessments in ELA and math for grades 3–8 and once in high school.
ATLAS Arkansas Education Standards 1
What does ATLAS stand for in the context of Arkansas education?