The Little Rock School District expects roughly 50 third-graders will be held back for the 2026-27 school year under the state's literacy retention law, district spokeswoman Pamela Smith said Friday. That number represents less than 4% of the district's third-grade enrollment, which the district put between 1,420 and 1,440 students for 2025-26.
What the numbers show
Under the LEARNS Act of 2023, third-graders must score a Level 2 or above on the end-of-year Arkansas Teaching, Learning & Assessment System (ATLAS) to be automatically promoted to fourth grade beginning in 2025-26. In Little Rock, Smith said about 400 students scored a Level 1, the lowest performance level, and that earlier statements from the district put the share of Level 1 scores at roughly 30% of third graders.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Third-grade enrollment (2025-26) | 1,420–1,440 |
| Students scoring Level 1 | About 400 |
| Projected students retained (2026-27) | About 50 (<4%) |
Exemptions and district discretion
Arkansas law gives local districts broad authority to grant exemptions for students who do not meet the Level 2 threshold. The Little Rock School District used that discretion in most cases this spring, according to Smith, allowing most third-graders who scored Level 1 to be promoted rather than retained.
The LEARNS law's intent, as described to the Legislature by Education Secretary Jacob Oliva, is to "hit a caution button" when children are not meeting basic standards. But retention as a policy has produced mixed evidence in research: some studies find short-term academic gains when retention is paired with strong supports, while others — including a 2021 analysis by the Education Trust — warn of long-term negative effects absent intensive intervention.
- LEARNS Act requires Level 2 on ATLAS for automatic promotion starting 2025-26.
- Little Rock: ~400 Level 1 scores; ~50 projected retentions.
- Districts statewide have wide discretion and early data show many exemptions.
"Hit a caution button," Education Secretary Jacob Oliva told lawmakers when explaining the retention requirement.
Local stakes and broader context
For families and schools in Little Rock, the immediate consequence will be classroom composition and resource needs in both third and fourth grades next year. Retention can change class sizes, require targeted remediation for retained students and shift staffing or intervention plans. The district held back only six third-graders for academic reasons in 2024-25, the school year before the LEARNS requirement went into effect, highlighting how much the policy can change typical promotion patterns.
Statewide, early figures from multiple districts indicate districts are using exemptions to limit automatic retention. Nationally, teacher surveys such as one from the Fordham Institute suggest many educators view retention policies as having limited impact because exemptions and local practices often prevent widespread use.
District officials did not provide a school-by-school breakdown of retained students or the criteria used for exemptions. As the district prepares for next school year, administrators, teachers and families will be watching whether retained students receive the intensified supports researchers say are crucial to make retention beneficial.
