1. (a) Each public school will receive a performance category level designation or rating, hereafter collectively referred to as “rating”, of “A”, “B”, “C”, “D”, or “F” as described in Appendix A.

2. (b) The Division of Elementary and Secondary Education shall assign the annual public school rating under this section using the following indicators for each designated grade span based on the grade configurations of the school:

   1. (1) In elementary and middle schools, the following indicators shall be used without limitation:

      1. (A) The percent of students meeting proficiency or exceeding proficiency on state summative exams in ELA, math, and science;
      2. (B) The percent of students meeting or exceeding individual growth score in ELA, math, and science; and
      3. (C) The percent of students meeting or exceeding his or her individual growth in the lowest twenty-five percent (25%) of achievement on the previous state summative exams in ELA, math, and science; and

   2. (2) In high schools, the following indicators shall be used without limitation:

      1. (A) The percent of students meeting or exceeding proficiency on state summative exams in ELA, math, and science;
      2. (B) The percent of students meeting or exceeding his or her individual growth score in ELA, math, and science;
      3. (C) The percent of students meeting individual growth in the lowest twenty-five percent (25%) of achievement on the previous state summative exams in ELA, math, and science combined;
      4. (D) The four-year graduation rate; and
      5. (E) The number of students earning a diploma of merit or distinction that leads to enrollment, enlistment, or employment.
3. (c) For a school that does not have a complete data set due to grade configuration or the number of students per grade, the use of feeder school data, pairing, or proportional cuts may be used to assign a school rating.
4. (d) The Division of Elementary and Secondary Education shall publish the annual Public School Rating Business Rules used to assign school ratings on the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education’s website.

5. (e)

   1. (1) The Division of Elementary and Secondary Education shall recommend cut scores for each rating to the State Board of Education.
   2. (2) The Division of Elementary and Secondary Education shall implement an “Automatic Grading Scale Increase” in any year in which sixty-five percent (65%) or more of the school statewide aggregate earn a grade of A or B, and raise the scale required to earn a school grade by five percent (5%) until the scale reaches 90 – 100 = A, 80 – 89 = B, 70 – 79 = C, 60 – 69 = D, and 0 – 59 = F.
6. (f) The Division of Elementary and Secondary Education shall engage stakeholder groups in the school rating process and utilize feedback from the stakeholder groups to make a final recommendation to the state board for the total score range for each rating.
7. (g) If a school district has an alternative learning environment (ALE) or an alternative education (AE) program and the ALE or AE has a local education agency (LEA) number, the school district shall, for purposes of a rating pursuant to this part only, include the ALE or AE students in their respective area schools.
8. (h) Each school’s rating shall be included in the annual school performance report, which shall be posted on the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education’s and school districts’ websites.

9. (i) The following entities shall be exempt from receiving a school rating:

   1. (1) An open-enrollment public charter school whose mission and enrollment are primarily focused on students who:

      1. (A) Have dropped out of high school; or
      2. (B) Are identified as at risk of dropping out of school;

   2. (2) A conversion public charter school whose mission and enrollment are primarily focused on students who:

      1. (A) Have dropped out of high school; or
      2. (B) Are identified as at risk of dropping out of school;
   3. (3) An adult charter school serving students aged nineteen (19) or older;
   4. (4) The Arkansas School for the Deaf and Blind; and
   5. (5) The Division of Youth Services’ system of education.

Codification Notes: "ELA" means English language arts. Appendix A, School Rating System, to this part was repealed by Ark. R. 2025-12 (eff. September 5, 2025).