UCA’s Arkansas Research Center selected as statewide CLASS third-party verification team

The Arkansas Research Center (ARC), a research unit within the University of Central Arkansas College of Education, has been selected by the Arkansas Department of Education's Office of Early Childhood (ADE-OEC) to serve as the statewide third-party verification team for the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS).

"Being selected for this work demonstrates the trust the state has placed in the Arkansas Research Center and reflects the University of Central Arkansas's longstanding commitment to serving Arkansas through high-quality research and evaluation," Dr. Debbie Dailey, dean of the UCA College of Education, said.

CLASS is Arkansas's primary tool for assessing the quality of teacher-child interactions in licensed early childhood classrooms. Through this contract, ARC will conduct independent CLASS verification observations in licensed early childhood programs across all 75 Arkansas counties, providing objective, evidence-based verification of classroom quality data to support the state's early childhood quality improvement efforts.

The project is led by Dr. Sarah Argue, managing director of the Arkansas Research Center, and Amy Pinkston, project director. Together, they will oversee a team of 12 Teachstone-trained Regional CLASS Observers who will conduct verification observations throughout the state.

"This appointment highlights the important role universities play in supporting statewide initiatives through independent research and evaluation," Dailey said. "We are proud of the ARC team and the meaningful contributions they continue to make to early childhood education in Arkansas."

The award extends ARC's 13-year research partnership with ADE-OEC and reflects the department's confidence in the center's research expertise, professional integrity and commitment to objective evaluation. ARC's independence from CLASS coaching and professional development activities is a key requirement of the contract and ensures the credibility of the verification process.

The Arkansas Research Center is one of the research and service units housed within the UCA College of Education. The center partners with state agencies, school districts, and community organizations to conduct research, program evaluation, and technical assistance that informs educational policy and practice across Arkansas.