When Arkansas lawmakers passed the LEARNS Act three years ago, it was never going to be a quick fix. No serious education overhaul is. The goal was more ambitious: to reset expectations, focus on the fundamentals, and build a system that works better for students over the long haul.
Today, Arkansas educators, students and families are benefiting from the policies that were part of the LEARNS Act, and early reports suggest the state is on the right track when it comes to improving outcomes.
When it comes to expanding educational opportunity, more than 44,000 Arkansas students are now using Educational Freedom Accounts to access schools and learning environments that fit their needs. Arkansas ranks third nationally on the Education Freedom Index for school choice.
Over the past year, Arkansas saw an overall increase in student proficiency across multiple subjects. English language arts mastery scores rose about 1% from 2024 to 2025, and nearly every grade level improved compared to the prior year. In math, all but one grade showed gains. In science, nearly every grade improved, as well. More Arkansas students are now performing on grade level than they were just one year ago.
The LEARNS Act is driving that change.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
The landmark legislation, passed three years ago, focused on creating a policy landscape where students could get a jumpstart on their education before entering kindergarten. Today, more than 40,000 Arkansas children have access to early childhood education, ensuring more students enter kindergarten prepared to read and succeed. That priority also continues to grow, as 2025 saw more than 5,500 additional students gain access.
No reform works without strong educators, which is why Arkansas also invested heavily in literacy coaches, training and teacher retention. Coaches are now working in 100% of the state’s D- and F-rated schools. High-impact tutoring has expanded dramatically. More than 23,000 students participated this year, and more than 7,000 students received literacy tutoring grants.
When it comes to training, teachers in Arkansas’ lowest-performing schools received 73,000 hours of additional training this year alone, directly benefiting 45,000 students.
To help retain valuable teachers, the LEARNS Act raised the minimum teacher salary to $50,000. It provided 12 weeks of maternity leave, making it one of only two states recognized by the National Center for Teacher Quality for doing so. The law also expanded scholarships, improved alternative certification pathways and launched the Teacher Merit Incentive Fund. The results have been tangible. In the 2024-25 school year, more than 4,000 teachers earned merit pay bonuses of up to $10,000, a 45% increase over the prior year. Rewarding excellence and building a stronger pipeline sends a clear message that teachers matter. Education reform is a long game. States that achieve sustainable outcomes effectively address three interconnected elements: research-backed policies, consistent implementation and a commitment from policymakers to stay the course. All must be aligned for students to thrive.
Arkansas has now spent three years building a foundation based on stronger literacy instruction, clearer accountability, empowered families, better support for teachers and expanded pathways to opportunity. The early data look good, and those gains are poised to compound in the years ahead.
Arkansas policymakers deserve national credit for what the LEARNS Act has accomplished so far, and Arkansans should be proud of the progress the state already has made for students and families.
Jeb Bush is a former governor of Florida and current chairman of ExcelinEd in Action, an education advocacy nonprofit.