Math & reading standards and testing in Arkansas
Updated June 2026
Arkansas uses its own Arkansas Academic Standards, revised from the original Common Core framework. Students in grades 3-10 take the new ATLAS summative assessment in literacy and math each spring.
Does Arkansas hold kids back in 3rd grade for reading?
Yes (new). Under the LEARNS Act, beginning at the end of 2025-26, 3rd graders must score Level 2 or above on ATLAS ELA to be promoted, or use an exemption or intervention pathway.
Standards
Arkansas Academic Standards
Arkansas sets its own grade-level expectations rather than using Common Core, though the core math and reading skills are similar grade to grade.
The key test
The Arkansas state test
ATLAS covers both math and reading in grades 3-10.
Reading the results
Spring, typically April to May.
Levels 1 to 4; Levels 3 to 4 are proficient/ready.
On grade level means Level 3 or above on ATLAS ELA; the 3rd-grade promotion minimum is Level 2.
What's distinctive about Arkansas
The 2025-26 cohort is the first held to the new LEARNS Act reading-promotion standard on the new ATLAS test (replacing ACT Aspire).
Practice the skills, by grade
Whatever Arkansas calls its test, the underlying math and reading skills are grade-level. Practice them directly:
Practice the skills behind the test
Arkansas writes its own standards. What a third grader has to do does not change: multiply, find the main idea, read a paragraph and say what it meant. KangarooKiddo drills those skills in daily sessions of a handful of questions that end on their own. You see where your kid actually stands, they earn rewards you set up and approve.
Source: Arkansas Department of Education. Verified for the 2025-26 school year; policies can change, so confirm with your school.