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In the state of Arkansas, we are engaged in efforts to increase academic performance of the state’s students by investing in programs that improve accountability, transparency, choice and incentives in our public schools.

We work with grantees to:

• Promote and support academically and financially successful independent and open-enrollment public charter schools, and encourage the closure of those that are not;
• Invest in organizations that can leverage continued policy support and advancement of educational accountability and choice policy, primarily Act 35, Omnibus, and Open-Enrollment Public Charter School/School Choice Policy; and
• Assist traditional school districts in complying with the mandates of Arkansas’ accountability policy, primarily Act 35 and Omnibus.

Grantees within our Arkansas Education Reform initiative include:

• Arkansas Public School Resource Center;
• Arkansas Aims – Arkansas Advanced Initiative for Math and Science;
• e-Stem Public Charters Schools;
• Lighthouse Academies; and
• Arkansans for Education Reform Foundation.

A full list of our Arkansas Education Reform grantees can be found here: 2012 Walton Family Foundation Grants

Through support for statewide reform, the foundation’s goal is to spur significant gains in the academic achievement of Arkansas students. Progress toward this goal will be measured by:

• Achievement gains by both public charter and district schools, according to quantifiable measures such as proficiency on state tests, graduation rates and ACT scores;
• Improved public charter school policy;
• New, favorable school-choice policies; and
• Increased financial and academic sustainability of public charter schools.