Great Rivers Education Service Cooperative

08/24/2026

The Education Renewal Zones (ERZs) are offering a one-day professional learning session at Great Rivers ESC on September 1 focused on helping schools increase student attendance and combat chronic absenteeism.

Developed in partnership with ADE-DESE and Attendance Works, this session is designed for school attendance teams, including administrators and other staff who play a role in improving attendance.

Teams will work together to:

📊 Use attendance data to identify trends and areas of need
🎯 Develop strategies to improve student attendance
🤝 Strengthen systems for addressing absenteeism
💡 Identify ways to remove barriers and keep students connected to school

Every day a student is present is another opportunity to learn, connect, and grow.

Gather your attendance team and join us at Great Rivers on September 1! Register here: https://www.escweb.net/ar_esc/catalog/session.aspx?session_id=579317

08/20/2026

Kelsey Riley, Great Rivers Teacher Center Coordinator, recently joined Abe Hudson with Delta Magic for an important conversation about education.

Their discussion explored questions that matter to our students, families, educators, and communities, including:

✨ What makes the Arkansas Delta—and its schools—magical?
📊 How can families better understand school accountability and school report card grades?
📚 What should parents know about LEARNS, ACCESS, and third-grade retention?
🎓 What does it mean for students to graduate Success Ready?
🤝 What does a strong school-family partnership look like?
🏫 Why does attendance matter?
🍎 What pathways are available for those interested in becoming teachers?
💡 And what opportunities can make education—and the future—even stronger across the Delta?

Conversations like these help connect families and communities with the information they need while keeping the focus where it belongs: creating opportunities for every student to thrive.

Thank you, DeltaDelta Magic providing a platform for meaningful conversations about education in our region!

08/19/2026

Some of our Great Rivers preschool staff are in Conway attending the Arkansas Special Education Professionals Annual Conference, gaining new knowledge and strategies to better support the children and families we serve.

They had the opportunity to learn from and meet Cody Clark (see photo), an autistic self-advocate who travels the country sharing his experiences through engaging presentations—and a little magic!

08/19/2026

Earlier this week, the Great Rivers ESC team came together for our annual staff meeting. This year’s theme, Deep Reflections, challenged us to take time to reflect on our impact, renew our purpose, and reimagine our role in education across the Great Rivers region.

As we begin a new school year, we are reminded that the work we do matters—not only in the services we provide, but in the relationships we build and the support we give to educators, students, schools, and communities.

We’re excited to dive into another year of learning, serving, and growing together!

08/18/2026

Back-to-school time is always joyfully busy at Great Rivers ESC! Our K-12 team has been working alongside educators across the region for a variety of professional learning sessions.

✨ Core Academic Skills & project-based learning for Forrest City elective teachers
📖 Literacy strategies for Forrest City social studies teachers
💬 Meaningful implementation of observation feedback in Palestine-Wheatley
🍎 Ethics & professionalism in Clarendon
🔬 Science HQIM implementation in Brinkley and Forrest City
➗ Math HQIM implementation in Lee County and Forrest City
🏃 Hands-on learning for Forrest City PE/Health teachers
💡Project based learning for Forrest City elective teachers

BUSY? Absolutely! But what a joy to see so many educators learning, collaborating, and preparing meaningful experiences for students.

08/17/2026

Our Preschool Department has been busy conducting screenings with young learners in our schools! This little learner from Little Patriot Academy is proudly showing off her color identification skills as part of a screening designed to look at age-appropriate speech and language, developmental, fine motor, and gross motor skills.

These screenings have an important purpose. Our licensed developmental teachers and speech-language pathologists work to identify young children who may benefit from additional support—helping provide that extra boost early so they can continue building the skills they need for success in kindergarten and beyond.

Each year, our Early Childhood Special Education team screens more than 1,000 children across the Great Rivers service area. That means more than 1,000 opportunities to recognize strengths, identify potential needs, and connect children and families with support as early as possible.

We are committed to providing high-quality early intervention and helping every preschooler get off to a strong start!

Have questions about preschool screenings or Early Childhood Special Education services? Contact Holly Whaley, Early Childhood Special Education Coordinator, at 870-338-7768.

08/17/2026

UPDATE: The pilot capacity has been reached!

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The Arkansas Department of Education is partnering with Cambium, our ATLAS assessment provider, to pilot Cambi for Educators, a new AI-powered assistant designed to help teachers make sense of student assessment data within the ATLAS reporting system.

As part of this pilot, DESE is seeking Arkansas educators to explore the tool and provide feedback on its usefulness in supporting instructional decision-making. The feedback collected will help inform DESE as it evaluates the tool’s utility and relevance for Arkansas schools.

This pilot is open to teachers in ATLAS-tested grades and subject areas.

If you have teachers who would be interested in participating, please share the registration form below and encourage them to complete it by August 19, 2026, or until the pilot reaches capacity.

08/03/2026

🎒📚 Summer is officially over... at least for our office hours! ☀️➡️🍎

We're back to our regular office schedule:

🕗 Monday–Thursday: 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
🕗 Friday: 8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

As a new school year begins, we want to wish Delta Preparatory Schools, West Memphis School District, and Lee County School District an amazing first day with students this week!

To all of our other member districts, we hope you have a productive and inspiring week of back-to-school professional learning as you prepare to welcome students back into your classrooms.

Here's to a fantastic 2026–2027 school year! Great Rivers ESC is excited to partner with you every step of the way.

Send a message to learn more

07/28/2026

We are proud to celebrate the outstanding leadership of our Great Rivers superintendents, who are sharing best practices and innovative ideas with educational leaders across Arkansas.

👏 Dr. Michael Stone recently presented at the Arkansas Association of Educational Administrators (AAEA) Conference, sharing T.H.A.T. approach to district decision making.

👏 Dr. Xavier Hodo presented at both the AAEA Conference and the Arkansas Department of Education Summit, highlighting effective leadership practices and the work taking place in his district.

When our leaders share their experiences, they not only celebrate the successes of their districts but also strengthen education across the state through collaboration and the exchange of ideas.

Congratulations, Dr. Stone and Dr. Hodo, for representing the Great Rivers region with excellence!

07/21/2026

Maintenance personnel from our member districts participated in an annual training designed to ensure their own safety while they help create safe, healthy learning environments for students and staff.

Training topics included:
🧪 Hazardous Chemical Right-to-Know
🩸 Bloodborne Pathogens
💪 Back Safety
🚶 Slip, Trip, and Fall Prevention
☀️ Heat Stress
🌳 Groundskeeping Safety
🏫 Asbestos Awareness

From maintaining school facilities to responding safely to everyday challenges, our maintenance professionals play a vital role in the success of our schools. We appreciate their commitment to ongoing professional learning and to ensuring our campuses remain safe for everyone.

Thank you to all who participated and for the important work you do every day!