Arkansas A+ Schools

In 2018, Arkansas A+ Schools officially joined the University of Arkansas under the direction and management of the College of Education and Health Professions. For more information, visit arkansasaplus.org.

Arkansas A+ Schools is a research-based whole-school network with a mission of nurturing creativity in every learner through an arts-integrated network. It is part of the National A+ Schools Consortium, which includes North Carolina, Oklahoma, and Louisiana. The original A+ Schools model was developed in North Carolina in 1995.

Since 2015, the Center for Children & Youth has partnered with Arkansas A+ Schools, sharing resources and instructional expertise.

A+ Schools combine interdisciplinary teaching and daily arts instruction, offering students opportunities to develop creative, innovative ways of thinking, learning and demonstrating knowledge. In Arkansas A+ schools, teaching the state’s mandated curriculum involves a collaborative, multi-disciplined approach with the arts—dance/movement, theatre, music, creative writing and visual arts—continuously woven into every aspect of a child’s learning.

Arkansas A+ Schools provides schools with ongoing professional development, an intricate network of support, and an active research component. We coach schools through a process to create an educational environment that excites students about learning and produces better achievement. We do this by preparing teachers and principals to think more creatively about how to present their curriculum in collaborative hands-on ways.