The State of Education in Arkansas

Harry Anthony Patrinos is head of the Department of Education Reform and 21st Century Endowed Chair in Education Policy at the University of Arkansas. His research centers on the economics of education, especially returns to schooling and education finance. He previously served as a senior education adviser at the World Bank.

Kristen Scott is an award-winning educator with over thirty years experience improving instruction and measuring outcomes at the K-12 and collegiate levels. She holds a doctorate in curriculum and instruction from the University of Arkansas, where she is the research analyst in the Department of Education Reform. She is the recipient of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching and the Oklahoma-Arkansas Teacher of the Year award, among other honors.

"The State of Education in Arkansas is essential reading for anyone shaping education policy and striving to improve learning and labor market outcomes with equity."

--George Psacharopoulos, pioneering economist of education, formerly of the London School of Economics and the World Bank

"Every state would benefit from the kind of careful assessment that Patrinos and Scott provide in this volume. Anyone seeking to understand how Arkansas is faring, how it got here, and where it should go next will find this volume an invaluable guide."

--Rick Hess, director of education policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute and author of The Great School Rethink

"This book carefully demonstrates an ideal melding of policy and evaluation, something that more states should try to duplicate. The mobilized energy of some of the nations top educational researchers has produced a model of how researchers can provide the guidance needed for an improved US educational system. The State of Education in Arkansas is splendidly broad, thorough, and informative."

--Eric Hanushek, senior fellow at the Hoover Institution of Stanford University