Assessment and Accountability

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The Assessment & Accountability Department manages the preparation, organization, and administration of all state-mandated tests that are required for all public and charter schools in the state of Arkansas. This department is led by the Director of Assessment & Accountability for the Pine Bluff School District. The director, who also serves as the District Test Coordinator, is responsible for training, guiding, and supporting Building Test Coordinators (BTCs) according to state and federal testing guidelines, rules, regulations, and protocols that are set forth by the Arkansas Department of Education: Division of Elementary and Secondary Education (ADE: DESE). The Building Test Coordinators are selected by the principals of the respective schools where they serve. The BTCs manage the staff training and test administration of all state-mandated assessments on the individual school campuses, with support from the District Test Coordinator. The purpose of the department is to ensure that all testing events on every school campus are conducted with fidelity, in accordance with state and federal laws, within environments that are conducive to testing and optimal student performance in the Pine Bluff School District.

Beginning in the Spring of 2024, the Arkansas Teaching and Learning Assessment System (ATLAS) will serve as the statewide student assessment system and will encompass a range of assessments intended to measure student progress. According to the directive from the Arkansas Department of Education: Division of Elementary and Secondary Education (ADE: DESE) and pursuant to the Rules Governing the Arkansas Educational Support and Accountability Act (Act 930), the Pine Bluff School District requires all students enrolled in the district, including those students who attend the Virtual Academy, to engage with all state-mandated assessments at the school sites where students are enrolled.