Dear Secretary Oliva: Arkansas Maintenance of Equity Requirements

Summary

Arkansas Secretary of Education Jacob Oliva receives a letter from James F. Lane, Ed. D., Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, dated July 10, 2023, recognizing the State's ongoing commitment to the maintenance of equity requirements under section 2004(b) of the American Rescue Plan Act. It credits the State's executive branch, appropriators in the legislature and agency staff, and says data quality efforts, technical assistance and maintained State funding are helping close opportunity and achievement gaps. The Department looks forward to continued work on implementation, and Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders is copied.

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“Dear Secretary Oliva: Arkansas Maintenance of Equity Requirements.” Original at www.ed.gov. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/department-of-education-7-10-2023-used-www-ed-gov-ddb5e8185b-4976743b47/, SHA-256 7b2f8a6e2421e537ca4b0b97bcc0bd887a41d28d90816e1002972210932f342d.

Full text

                         UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


                                            July 10, 2023

The Honorable Jacob Oliva
Secretary of Education
Arkansas Department of Education
Four Capitol Mall
Little Rock, AR 72201

Dear Secretary Oliva,

I am writing to recognize Arkansas’ ongoing commitment to the maintenance of equity
requirements under section 2004(b) of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARP). Knowing the
numerous, competing priorities facing States, State educational agencies, and local educational
agencies, Arkansas’ early work to implement these new, critically important resource equity
requirements is appreciated. We note that Arkansas’ action is a result of cooperative efforts
involving your executive branch, appropriators in your State legislature, and State educational
agency leadership and staff.

ARP maintenance of equity requirements help ensure that State and local education funding
supports students who experienced longstanding opportunity gaps before, and were
disproportionately impacted by, the COVID-19 pandemic. In implementing these provisions
through a mix of data quality efforts, engagement with Department-provided technical assistance,
and maintenance of State education funding for the communities and students who need it most,
Arkansas is taking critical steps to accelerate academic recovery and close opportunity and
achievement gaps.

My team looks forward to continuing our work with yours in implementation of maintenance of
equity requirements. Thank you for your collaboration, and all you do for Arkansas’ students,
educators, and families.

                                               Sincerely,


                                               James F. Lane, Ed. D.
                                               Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary
                                               Delegated the Authority to Perform the
                                               Functions and Duties of the Assistant Secretary
                                               Office of Elementary and Secondary Education

CC: The Honorable Sarah Huckabee Sanders
    Governor of Arkansas
    500 Woodlane Street
    Little Rock, AR 72201

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