What Arkansas Department of Education does

The Arkansas Department of Education (ADE) is the state government agency responsible for overseeing K-12 public education, higher education coordination, career and technical education, and specialized services for deaf and blind students across Arkansas. ADE operates through several divisions including the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), the Arkansas Division of Higher Education (ADHE), the Division of Career & Technical Education, the Arkansas Schools for the Deaf & the Blind, the Arkansas State Library, and the MLK Jr. Commission & Board. The agency serves 473,004 K-12 students across 262 school districts and 1,041 public schools, supported by 33,507 certified teachers and 9,172 certified staff, and additionally coordinates with 12 four-year public universities, 22 two-year public institutions, and 16 independent colleges. ADE is headquartered at Four Capitol Mall in Little Rock, Arkansas, and operates with 251-500 employees under the leadership of Secretary and Commissioner Jacob Oliva, appointed in January 2023.

ADE's technology footprint consists of multiple interconnected digital platforms: the ATLAS Portal for family-facing student progress access, the ACCESS system for student information management, the LEARNS Portal for Arkansas LEARNS Act resources, the Performance Center for program outcome dashboards, and the ADE Data Center / LEA Insights for statewide K-12 data, human capital metrics, financial transparency (including ESSER spending), and survey data. Sub-brand programs include R.I.S.E. Arkansas (literacy), Arkansas AWARE (mental health), G.U.I.D.E. for Life (student success), ENGAGE Arkansas (attendance/re-engagement), Arkansas Teacher Corps and Tutoring Corps (workforce), and the Pre-K R.I.S.E. Initiative (early literacy). The agency runs targeted grant programs including the Literacy Tutoring Grant ($1,500 per K-3 student), High-Impact Tutoring Grants, and Professional Learning Grants.

As a state government agency, ADE's 'revenue' is derived from state appropriations and federal grants rather than commercial sales. Recent notable funding includes a $25 million Education Innovation and Research grant from the U.S. Department of Education (Jan 2026, over five years), a Preschool Development Grant from HHS (Jan 2026), a $3.6 million USDOE assessment/data literacy grant (Sep 2024), and a $5.1 million Walton Family Foundation grant for Arkansas Teacher Corps (Feb 2026). Strategic partnerships include Care Solace for statewide mental health care coordination (Dec 2025, 700,000+ provider network) and Learning Heroes for the #GoBeyondGrades parent engagement campaign (2026). Marketing/communications reach the field via the official website, social media (Facebook, X, YouTube, Instagram, Pinterest), DESE Podcasts, the ADE Blog, and Commissioner's Memorandums.

Name

Arkansas Department of Education

Legal name

Arkansas Department of Education

Website

https://ade.arkansas.gov

Company type

Public

Founded year

1931

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

The Arkansas Department of Education is a state government agency headquartered in Little Rock that oversees K-12 public education, higher education coordination, and career and technical education across Arkansas, serving 473,004 students in 262 districts and 1,041 schools.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Education Administration

NAICS

Administration of Education Programs (92311), Administration of Education Programs (923110), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Education Ombudsman, Appeals & Complaints Offices (EDADAAAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Tuition Assistance & Voucher/ESA Program Administration (EDADAHAF), Special Education (IEP/504) & Student Support Case Management (EDAFAEAI)

Keywords

• K-12 public education
• State education administration
• Educator licensure services
• Literacy instruction programs
• Education data analytics

Headquarters

HQ city

Little Rock

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Arkansas Department of Education (ADE) is the state government agency that oversees K-12 public education, higher education coordination, career and technical education, and specialized services (deaf/blind, libraries) across Arkansas. It delivers statewide educational programs (R.I.S.E. Arkansas literacy, Arkansas AWARE mental health, ENGAGE Arkansas, Arkansas Tutoring Corps, G.U.I.D.E. for Life), administers grants and educator licensure, and operates interconnected digital platforms (ATLAS, ACCESS, ADE Data Center, LEA Insights, LEARNS Portal, Performance Center) supporting 262 districts, 1,041 schools, 33,507 teachers, and 473,004 K-12 students.

Product overview

The Arkansas Department of Education operates as the state's primary education agency overseeing K-12 public schools, higher education coordination, career/technical education, and specialized services for deaf and blind students. The department's digital ecosystem consists of multiple interconnected portals (LEARNS, ACCESS, ATLAS, Performance Center, LEA Insights) and programs addressing literacy (R.I.S.E. Arkansas, Literacy Tutoring Grant), student engagement (ENGAGE Arkansas), mental health (Arkansas AWARE, Care Solace), and professional development (Professional Learning Grants). The department also supports Arkansas Tutoring Corps with multiple tutoring programs (Literacy Tutoring Grant, High-Impact Tutoring) and provides podcast content through DESE Podcasts covering educational topics. These products and services collectively aim to improve educational outcomes across Arkansas's 1,041 public schools serving 473,004 students.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• LEARNS Act: Arkansas's landmark education reform legislation signed in 2023 providing school vouchers, teacher salary increases, and education choice programs
• R.I.S.E. Arkansas
• Arkansas AWARE
• G.U.I.D.E. for Life
• ENGAGE Arkansas
• Arkansas Teacher Corps
• Arkansas Tutoring Corps
• Pre-K R.I.S.E. Initiative

Products and services

• LEARNS Portal

Quantifiable outcome

• Arkansas Teacher Corps has placed over 326 teachers across 95 schools and 42 school districts, with 84% of completers earning a five-year teaching license
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Really Great ReadingminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 February 2026Awarded up to $343,000 in funding for Early Childhood Professional Services to expand Pre-Kindergarten literacy program across Arkansas. Provides coaching, training, and technical assistance to Pre-K educators under the state's Pre-K R.I.S.E. Initiative.
• Learning HeroescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Partnership for the #GoBeyondGrades spring and summer campaign to help parents understand their child's actual reading progress. Campaign connects families to free resources tied to the Arkansas LEARNS Act, available in English and Spanish.
• Care SolacecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 December 2025Partnership to provide statewide access to mental health care coordination services at no cost, supporting students, staff, and families. Leverages a network of over 700,000 licensed providers with multilingual Care Companions available 24/7.
• Graduation AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Partnership with Graduation Alliance and Education Renewal Zones (ERZs) to launch ENGAGE Arkansas, an attendance and re-engagement initiative to help districts re-engage students affected by the pandemic. Also includes Arkansas Department of Human Services for wrap-around support services.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• U.S. Department of Education: The federal counterpart that funds and oversees state education agencies including ADE; comparable in mission (education policy, grant administration, accountability) but at the national rather than state level.

Direct peers

• Tennessee Department of Education: Tennessee's state education agency is among the closest peers to ADE — both are mid-sized southern states with active literacy initiatives (TN Readvolution, AR R.I.S.E.), federal grant administration, and teacher pipeline programs.
• Mississippi Department of Education: Mississippi's state education agency is a direct regional peer — comparable state size, literacy reform history (Reading Sufficiency), federal grant reliance, and educator pipeline challenges similar to Arkansas.
• California Department of Education: Larger state education agency peer operating similar functions (K-12 oversight, federal grants, educator licensure, accountability systems); included for breadth though materially larger in scale than ADE.
• Texas Education Agency: State education agency overseeing K-12 and education policy for Texas, the most directly comparable peer in scale and scope to ADE; both administer federal grants, operate accountability systems, and manage statewide digital platforms.
• Florida Department of Education: Florida's state education agency, a direct peer in administering K-12 policy, school choice programs (similar to Arkansas LEARNS), teacher licensure, and federal grant programs across a comparable southern state footprint.
• Alabama State Department of Education: Alabama's state education agency serves a comparable southern state with similar literacy, poverty, and educator shortage challenges; both administer federal Title programs and statewide assessment systems.
• Oklahoma State Department of Education: Oklahoma's state education agency is a regional peer with similar size, demographics, literacy outcomes challenges, and federal grant-funded programs targeting teacher shortages and student support.
• Louisiana Department of Education: Neighboring southern state education agency with comparable K-12 oversight, federal grant programs, literacy initiatives, and similar demographic and economic context to Arkansas.
• Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education: Missouri DESE is highly comparable in nomenclature (DESE) and structural role — administering K-12 policy, federal programs, educator effectiveness, and statewide assessment systems for a similar mid-sized state.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ArkansasEd
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCO_a5SM0kwrHZPrzXBa_ZKQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/arkansased
• Instagraminstagram.com/ArkansasEd
• Pinterestpinterest.com/ArkansasEd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds6 records

Investors3 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments6 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Arkansas Department of Education