Committee divided over PLC pilot: DESE cites culture and retention gains while BLR finds mixed test‑score evidence
April 05, 2022 | EDUCATION COMMITTEE - SENATE, Senate, Committees, Legislative, Arkansas
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The committee’s discussion of professional development focused on the Solution Tree professional learning community (PLC) pilot and separate analyses of the program’s effectiveness.
BLR summarized three evaluations: a 2019 BLR qualitative study of early cohort schools, an Education Northwest program evaluation (conducted for DESE/Solution Tree), and a BLR quantitative analysis of ACT Aspire results for cohort schools through 2021. BLR reported that the aggregate ACT Aspire comparisons showed no consistent positive trend for PLC pilot schools compared with non‑pilot schools across 2017–2021; BLR cautioned COVID‑era impacts and methodological caveats.
Several legislators pressed for accountability and independent evaluation. Representative Mackenzie noted the program’s fiscal scale and independence concerns: “this is a hundred million dollar contract and each year we keep extending it,” and questioned whether independent evaluation was adequate. Committee members also asked whether Education Northwest was contracted by Solution Tree to evaluate the program; the committee record shows Education Northwest performed an evaluation on behalf of DESE and Solution Tree.
DESE representatives defended the initiative and listed non-test metrics where PLCs have shown gains. Missy Wally (ADE director of special projects) told the committee that only two cohorts had completed the multi-year process and both had COVID impacts, and that the department tracks additional indicators such as special‑education referrals and teacher retention to evaluate the work beyond summative test scores: “we've only had 2 cohorts that have completed this process ... and in 2021 was post COVID.”
DESE also said the PLC model seeks a culture shift that can take multiple years to show up in statewide summative assessments; members asked BLR and DESE to provide additional growth metrics, school‑level implementation details and a list of schools using locally funded PLC work outside the pilot.
BLR summarized three evaluations: a 2019 BLR qualitative study of early cohort schools, an Education Northwest program evaluation (conducted for DESE/Solution Tree), and a BLR quantitative analysis of ACT Aspire results for cohort schools through 2021. BLR reported that the aggregate ACT Aspire comparisons showed no consistent positive trend for PLC pilot schools compared with non‑pilot schools across 2017–2021; BLR cautioned COVID‑era impacts and methodological caveats.
Several legislators pressed for accountability and independent evaluation. Representative Mackenzie noted the program’s fiscal scale and independence concerns: “this is a hundred million dollar contract and each year we keep extending it,” and questioned whether independent evaluation was adequate. Committee members also asked whether Education Northwest was contracted by Solution Tree to evaluate the program; the committee record shows Education Northwest performed an evaluation on behalf of DESE and Solution Tree.
DESE representatives defended the initiative and listed non-test metrics where PLCs have shown gains. Missy Wally (ADE director of special projects) told the committee that only two cohorts had completed the multi-year process and both had COVID impacts, and that the department tracks additional indicators such as special‑education referrals and teacher retention to evaluate the work beyond summative test scores: “we've only had 2 cohorts that have completed this process ... and in 2021 was post COVID.”
DESE also said the PLC model seeks a culture shift that can take multiple years to show up in statewide summative assessments; members asked BLR and DESE to provide additional growth metrics, school‑level implementation details and a list of schools using locally funded PLC work outside the pilot.
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