Special education in Arkansas

What Arkansas calls special education, how long each step takes, who to call, free help, paying for services, and how the state scores.

Special education in Arkansas

Special education is called

Special Education

The IEP meeting

IEP meeting (Evaluation/Programming Conference)

Eligibility team

Evaluation/Programming Conference team

Evaluation timeline

60 calendar days. From consent; eligibility conference within 30 calendar days of testing (6 CAR 130-603, per secondary source)

IEP timeline

30 days (federal)

Transition planning starts

16 (being checked)

Rights transfer to the student at

Developmental delay category

3 to 5 (preschool only; child count shows no school-age DD)

Dyslexia law

yes: Ark. Code 6-41-603: K-2 screening for characteristics of dyslexia (and others on indicators)

Find your district and schools

307 districts and charter districts. 12 special education schools and 110 public charter schools.

Get your Hall Pass Schools in Arkansas Services for children in Arkansas (on Disability Atlas)

The state office and your options when you disagree

State special education office

Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary Education, Office of Special Education (501) 682-4291

Procedural safeguards (your rights notice)

Read the state's notice

Mediation

Ask for mediation

State complaint

File a state complaint

Due process

Ask for a due process hearing

Free help for families

Parent centers

Center for Exceptional Families
Parent Training and Information Center (PTI), Jonesboro
(870) 336-3012

Disability rights agency

Disability Rights Arkansas
Protection and Advocacy Agency, Little Rock
(501) 296-1775

Advocacy groups in Arkansas

Paying for it

Medicaid for children

ARKids First A (Medicaid)

CHIP

ARKids First B

Apply

Apply for coverage

Medicaid for children with disabilities, whatever the family's income

yes: TEFRA (ARKids TEFRA, income-based premium); name from general knowledge, not in CSG list

Schools bill Medicaid for health services

yes (limited services for all Medicaid-enrolled students)

Autism insurance law

yes. under 18; ABA $50,000 per year

Scholarship or ESA for students with disabilities

universal: Education Freedom Accounts (universal ESA, LEARNS Act); Succeed Scholarship (SWD) folded into EFA; Philanthropic Investment in Arkansas Kids tax-credit scholarship

Program page

Official program page

How school, Medicaid and insurance fit together

How Arkansas scores

First edition. These grades are new (November 2026) and the weights may still change. Texas graduation data is being confirmed with the state.

State of Schools

Rank 21 of 51

State of Support

Rank 50 of 51

Combined

Rank 49 of 51

Pillar	Grade
Following the law	D
Learning together	B-
Results	B-
School funding	D
Family protections	C
Options and transition	C

IDEA determination 2026: Needs Assistance (2 or more years). How we grade.

Sources for this page are listed in the SPED Atlas research tables (state terms, state help, paying for it). Items marked "being checked" are waiting on a primary source.

Last reviewed: November 2026. Rules, programs and phone numbers change. Check with the office named on this page. Report outdated or wrong information.