The Arkansas Department of Education (ADE): Division of Elementary and secondary Education (DESE) is excited to announce the pilot release of the AR-APP Portal — a streamlined, comprehensive platform designed in close collaboration with Office of Federal programs (OFP) and Office of Information Technology (OIT) to serve as a one-stop solution for LEA's across the state.

The AR-APP introduces several groundbreaking features that will significantly improve ease of use and collaboration for LEA's and DESE:

1. Strategic Oversight: Education Service Cooperative Directors will provide oversight on LEA Strategic Plans.
2. Collaborative Planning: Superintendents can assign and delegate strategic plan sections to multiple users across their district for simultaneous collaboration.
3. Concurrent DESE Review: Multiple DESE Office of Federal Programs subject matter experts (SMEs) can review strategic plans concurrently.
4. Integrated Communication: DESE reviewers can send direct clarification requests to LEA users for faster turnaround.
5. Electronic Revisions: LEA's can review, revise, and resubmit plans electronically.
6. Digital Uploads: Assurances documents can be uploaded digitally within the portal.
7. Digital Locker: Secure storage for additional supporting documentation.
8. Real-Time Progress Tracking: Visual progress bars for both LEA and DESE users to monitor plan development in real time.
9. Workflow Mapping: Visual representation of plan flow between LEA and DESE users for clarity and accountability.
10. DESE Dashboard: A comprehensive dashboard for DESE to track submissions and progress statewide.
11. Public Plan Sharing: LEA's can share public plans with a simple copy-URL feature.

Access the AR-APP Portal is here: https://arapp.ade.arkansas.gov/

This month, the Arkansas Department of Education launched the ACCESS website. The Arkansas ACCESS Act is Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ higher education overhaul plan that the Arkansas Legislature enacted during this year’s regular session.

The higher education plan builds upon the transformational success of the LEARNS Act and focuses on aligning pre-kindergarten to post-secondary education to ensure students graduate ready for enrollment, enlistment or employment, the state Department of Education said in a news release.

The web portal, available at https://access.ade.arkansas.gov/, is a one-stop location for all things involving implementation, the department said.

Focusing on the six key aspects of ACCESS (Acceleration, Common Sense, Cost, Eligibility, Scholarships and Standardization), the website provides details about each of the categories and links to additional information.

In addition to providing more information about each of the categories, the website includes a link to the legislation, frequently asked questions and updates regarding ACCESS. The site also houses links to each of the colleges and universities in Arkansas and will include a link to the Direct Admissions Portal once developed.