Senate education committee presses co‑ops for evidence of results as PLCs expand

Representative John Eubanks, sponsor of ISP 83, opened the Senate Education Committee hearing by asking whether the state is getting results from its education service cooperatives and requesting clearer data on outcomes and compliance with reporting rules.

Eubanks said the study grew out of earlier legislation (House Bill 1192, now Act 802) and the committee packet, and he asked: "Are we getting what we're paying for?" He pointed members to packet pages that list 15 co‑ops, staff counts, counties and student totals and said the department may need to change rules on co‑op size or distance requirements.

Gerald Cooper, director of the North Central co‑op, told the committee co‑ops have been working to build fully functioning professional learning communities (PLCs) and to align school, district and co‑op systems. "It's a labor of love and satisfying because it is something that can move the needle," Cooper said, describing efforts to end siloed work and support district leaders.

Mark Gibson, assistant director and teacher center coordinator at North Central, described rapid uptake in his region: "We went from 0 districts to 1 district to now 9 districts in a period of 2 years," he said, and outlined capstone events and on‑site visits intended to demonstrate that the work is "driven all the way down to the learner." Gibson also described mock interviews and a rubric developed with business partners to measure student soft skills.

DESE representative (identified in the transcript as Doctor Wally) summarized outcome narratives compiled from 47 schools. Wally cited specific growth examples reported by districts: Cabot Freshman Academy freshmen reading growth of 9.9%; Quitman High School reading from 30% to 51% since 2018; a district reporting tenth‑grade reading gains of 23% and seventh‑grade gains of 15%; Howard Elementary reported third‑grade reading up 25.2% while serving 93% economically disadvantaged students; Westside School District reported a 42.6% increase in fourth‑grade math. Wally said five level‑3 schools received intensive support and that four of those schools were later removed from 'in need of support' after sustained visits and coaching.

Committee members pressed witnesses for clearer, comparable metrics. Eubanks said the committee packet lists a total co‑op funding figure on the packet pages (the transcript refers to a $172,000,000 figure for fiscal year 21‑22 on pages 11–12 and later references an approximate $178,000,000 total in discussion) and asked whether co‑ops' public evaluations and audits were consistently posted as rules require. The witnesses acknowledged some data are preliminary and said more comprehensive reporting is forthcoming.

Several members asked about Solution Tree, the outside provider that helped train districts in PLC processes. Senator Hammer and Representative Beck asked whether Solution Tree remains necessary once in‑state capacity is built; Cooper and Gibson said Solution Tree provided early training and that the long‑term goal is to train Arkansas educators and co‑op staff to sustain the work internally. Representative Allen criticized vendor spending and said some low‑performing, high‑poverty districts have seen declines; he questioned whether the cost (which witnesses acknowledged can be substantial) matches results. Wally and Cooper responded that outcomes vary with implementation fidelity and pointed to schools showing measurable growth.

Committee staff and members requested follow‑up materials: a full list of schools participating in PLCs, comparative performance data since participation began, cost information on Solution Tree contracts and a breakdown of co‑op staffing and student ratios. The chair and Representative Eubanks said co‑op directors and ADE staff will make full presentations at the committee's November meeting.

With no formal votes on policy reported during the hearing, the principal next steps are committee review of the requested data and the scheduled November presentations by co‑op directors and the Department of Education. The committee adjourned after housekeeping announcements about October site visits to the School for the Deaf and the School for the Blind.