We are looking for district, building, and classroom leaders to be part of our 2025 AFESC Math Leadership Collaborative. These dates will be a mixture of updates, new learning, and planning that will support our schools, teachers, and students. We hope to see you there! Register with the link below!
https://www.escweb.net/ar_esc/catalog/session.aspx?session_id=569764about 2 months ago, Tara Sanders
The Division of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) partnered with leaders in the Arch Ford region to explore Arkansas’ new school accountability formula.
Educators engaged in thoughtful collaboration and were challenged to reflect on their systems of support—celebrating growth and achievement while planning intentional responses to student needs throughout the school year.
#archfordserves
#yourbestsolution
5 days ago, Jacob Sisson
Teachers and students at Danville High School are working hard, taking care of each other, and giving their all to make everyday a great place here!
#ArchFordServes
17 days ago, Tara Sanders
Arch Ford Specialist Nicki Watford had the pleasure of visiting Catie Overton’s special education classroom at Jim Stone Elementary, Conway Public Schools. 🌟
She got to see an inclusive setting where students were actively engaged, learning together, and most importantly—having fun! 🎉📚💡
It’s always inspiring to see classrooms where every student feels included, supported, and excited about learning. 💙
#SpecialEducation #ConwayPublicSchools #LearningTogether#ArchFordGrows
19 days ago, Laura Watford
🌟 Several members of the Arch Ford Special Education team had the opportunity to participate in powerful professional development sessions at the 2025 LEA Academy: Building Bridges to Meaningful Futures. 🌟
Team members attending included:
✨ Beth Harness, Early Childhood Coordinator
✨ Nicki Watford, System Support Specialist, Special Education
✨ Tammy Rainey, Special Education Manager
✨ Stephanie Guyse, Special Education Supervisor
✨ Cheyenne Jordan, Special Education Supervisor
✨ Roxanne Riddle, Special Education Supervisor
✨ Tori Biggers, Special Education Supervisor
The academy was filled with meaningful learning, collaboration, and inspiration. One highlight was exploring a wide range of important topics (check out the image for a snapshot!). 📚💡
We are so grateful to those who organized this event and for the opportunity to grow and learn together in support of students across Arkansas. 💛
#LEAAcademy2025 #BuildingBridges #SpecialEducation #ArchFordGrows
19 days ago, Laura Watford
Great things are happening at Dardanelle Intermediate School. From teaching with their HQIM to digging into ATLAS Interim data, these teachers are working hard to teach and support their students.
25 days ago, Jennifer McMahan
Gator Strong! 🐊
Two Rivers K–12 educators are on the move—strengthening Tier 1 and 2 instruction! Teams unpacked standards, designed learning ladders, and built responsive systems of support. Each group dug into their top 10 students, connecting data to indicators of excellence. Go Gators! 💪✨
#archfordserves
#yourbestsolution
#aflp
27 days ago, Jacob Sisson
⸻ 🦅 Warhawks Soaring Beyond the Data! 💫 Warhawk educators in the Mt. Vernon-Enola School District dug deep— looking beyond the numbers to truly see the whole child behind every data point. ❤️ Through their partnership with Arch Forward, both elementary and high school teachers spent time with Bethany having "kid talks" and looking beneath the surface of the numbers. Together, they explored what real engagement looks like through the lenses of: 🧠 Executive Functioning – strengthening working memory, cognitive flexibility, and self-regulation 🎯 Relevance – connecting learning to meaning and purpose 💬 Student Discourse – amplifying student voice and building thinking through conversation This district is soaring toward a future where every learner feels seen, supported, and challenged in ways that align with how the brain learns best. 🚀 #ArchFordServes #yourBESTsolution #AFLP
about 1 month ago, Bethany Hill
about 1 month ago, Jacob Sisson
Here’s the buzz! 🐝
South Side High Hornets are strengthening their Tier 1 and Tier 2 instructional systems with AFLP System Support Specialists Dr. Lori Edgin and Jacob Sisson. Secondary educators focused on unwrapping essential learning standards into clear, student-friendly targets and designing instructional zones for foundational, proficiency, and stretch learning using Learning Ladders.
Every teacher and student will use these ladders as a formative assessment tool to track progress and celebrate growth. Hornet strong!
#archfordserves
#yourbestsolution
#aflp
about 1 month ago, Jacob Sisson
Accommodations & Modifications that work in Gen Ed or Special Ed Classrooms!
October 20, 2025 8:30 - 3:30
@archford Register Here
Welcome to the session where we stop guessing and start customizing! You don’t need to be a legal expert or a magician—you just need the right tools, a little clarity, and strategies that fit into your actual day-to-day teaching life. In this session, we’re breaking it all down: What works (and what doesn’t), how to make accommodations doable without overhauling your lesson plans, Real examples you can use tomorrow, and Collaboration tips on Gen Ed & SPED teachers getting on the same page. #yourBESTsolution
about 1 month ago, Laura Watford
Bethany and Archie spent the day at Atkins Elementary recently, and teachers were in the homecoming spirit with Character Day! They worked during their PLC time looking a data to help them align common language and social emotional support for their students. Archie had a little playtime with Pickles as well. Working dogs need a break sometimes! #ArchFordServes yourBESTsolution #archibaldford #AFLP
about 1 month ago, Bethany Hill

💡NEW Session for ELEMENTARY COUNSELORS!!!!!
Link to register:
https://www.escweb.net/ar_esc/catalog/session.aspx?session_id=570121
Join elementary counselors from across the region for a day of learning, connection, and collaboration. This experience will equip counselors with tools to support both students and adults in navigating big behaviors and emotional challenges. Together, we’ll explore the neuroscience of regulation. We’ll also focus on the three core executive functions—Inhibitory Control, Working Memory, and Cognitive Flexibility. Counselors will learn how these brain-based skills develop, why they are essential for learning and behavior, and how to support students when these functions are impaired. Understanding executive function helps counselors reframe behaviors as skill gaps, not defiance, and guide both students and teachers toward strategies that strengthen resilience and regulation. Through interactive learning and peer collaboration, participants will gain practical strategies to co-regulate with students, equip teachers with regulated responses, and create consistent, brain-aligned supports across their buildings. This collaborative is designed to strengthen the counselor’s impact as a leader of student support and staff capacity while building a network of peers for ongoing connection.
#archfordserves
about 1 month ago, Bethany Hill
UDL 101: A systematic approach to building truly inclusive classrooms.
October 17, 2025 8:30 - 3:30
@archford Register Here
In UDL 101, where we flip the script on traditional teaching and start designing learning environments that are as diverse and dynamic as the students we serve. Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a systematic, proactive framework that helps you build flexibility into your classroom and instruction, so you don’t have to plan multiple lessons or assignments every day. #ArchFordGrows
about 1 month ago, Laura Watford
🎉🐺 Big congratulations to South Side School District and the South Side Wolf Program! 🐺🎉
On October 3, they were recognized at the Arkansas LEA Academy “For Outstanding Innovative Transition Programming” by the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education & Arkansas Transition Services.
This honor was presented to:
✨ Twylla Huddleston, Local Transition Coordinator
✨ Shelly Thorn, Special Education Teacher
✨ Brian Raney, High School Principal
✨ Roxanne Riddle, Special Education Supervisor
✨ Carrie Tuttle, Transition Consultant
by Bonnie Boaz, Arkansas Transition Coordinator, and Jeff Adams, State Director of Special Programs.
👏 We are so proud of the Wolf Program team for their dedication to student success and their innovative work in transition programming. This recognition highlights the powerful impact of collaboration, vision, and commitment to preparing students for bright futures!
#BeeBranchGrows#ArchFordGrows
about 1 month ago, Laura Watford
Today Atkins Elementary hosted a group of CGI year 2 participants where they had a chance to do some real life learning from the best teachers: kids!
about 1 month ago, Tara Sanders
📢 Calling all early childhood directors and administrators—this one’s for you!
Join us October 22–24 for FREE Pre-K CLASS® Observer Training.
Grow your leadership, sharpen your observation skills, and take the first step toward CLASS® certification.
about 1 month ago, Kristen Weatherall
Praxis Prep for Special Education: Foundational Knowledge 5355
October 11, 2025 8:30 - 3:30
@ Arch Ford Register Here
This professional development session prepares educators for the Praxis Special Education: Foundational Knowledge (5355) exam. Participants will explore key concepts in special education, including laws and regulations, instructional strategies, assessment, and collaboration with families and professionals. Through content review, practice questions, test-taking strategies, and access to a studying platform, educators will build confidence and readiness to succeed on the Praxis exam. #yourBESTsolution
about 2 months ago, Laura Watford
🌟 Professional Learning Spotlight 🌟
Tuesday, September 30, Nicki Watford, Vandy Nash, and Dr. Karen Norton from Arch Ford ESC facilitated a short but meaningful professional development session with mentor teachers and their novice teachers at Conway Public Schools. 💡
As part of their ongoing novice team work, this session gave educators the chance to collaborate, share strategies, and strengthen support systems that ensure novice teachers are set up for success. 🙌
We are grateful for mentor teachers who give their time and expertise, and for novice teachers who bring energy and fresh ideas into the classroom. Together, they are building a strong future for students! 💙📚✨
#TeacherSupport #NoviceTeachers #MentorTeachers #ConwayPublicSchools #ArchFordESC#ArchFordGrows
about 2 months ago, Laura Watford
The teachers at Anne Watson Elementary in Bigelow are always working to plan, refine, and enhance their math instruction! Here they work on aligning their HQIM, planning intervention, and using Achievement Level Descriptors to target instruction.
about 2 months ago, Tara Sanders