NIET and Arkansas Partner to Strengthen Educator Observation and Feedback Systems
January 22, 2026
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (January 22, 2026) — The National Institute for Excellence in Teaching (NIET) has been selected by the Arkansas Department of Education to support a three-year training and credentialing initiative to improve the feedback teachers and principals receive through their evaluation systems. The initiative will train evaluators to conduct high-quality observations and provide strong coaching feedback, supporting improvements in practice and creating a path for educators to qualify for merit-based recognition. Training and credentialing will be based on the state’s Teacher Excellence and Support System (TESS) and Leader Excellence and Development System (LEADS).
The partnership will launch in February in pilot districts across the state, engaging a cross-sector cohort of participants that includes education service cooperative staff, university and educator preparation program (EPP) partners, and school- and district-based leaders. School and teacher leaders in pilot schools will participate in training, receive on-site coaching to build greater clarity and consistency in the use of the TESS and LEADS evaluation systems across the state, and provide educators with more detailed, actionable feedback for improvement.
"Arkansas has made a historic commitment to elevating the teaching profession by raising teacher salaries and offering new opportunities for additional compensation based on effectiveness, serving as a mentor, and teaching in shortage areas,” said Secretary of Education Jacob Oliva. “To build on these efforts, we are strengthening the systems of feedback and support for educators by offering high-quality training and credentialing for evaluators. Our goal is to ensure that teachers receive actionable, timely, evidence-based feedback that helps them to continuously improve their practice and support student learning growth.”
NIET will provide training for evaluators and lead the development of a comprehensive, research-based credentialing and calibration system to ensure evaluator consistency statewide.
“Arkansas is taking an important step to ensure educators receive meaningful, actionable feedback that helps them grow,” said Dr. Joshua Barnett, Chief Executive Officer of NIET. “In our 25 years of experience, NIET has seen that an effective educator evaluation and coaching system is one of the most powerful tools for strengthening instruction.”
Educators will also receive access to NIET’s Educator Effectiveness Preparation and Support System (EE PASS), which includes a video library of classroom teaching with associated feedback and coaching materials, training modules, and other resources to support evaluators as well as individual teachers and school leaders.
Through the Arkansas TESS and LEADS Credentialing Initiative, Arkansas continues to lead in advancing systems that elevate the teaching profession and improve outcomes for students.
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About NIET
For 25 years, the National Institute for Excellence in Teaching (NIET) has partnered with schools, districts, and universities to ensure every student has access to excellent teachers. NIET has worked with more than 350,000 educators and 35,000 teacher leaders in 11,000 schools, impacting 3.5 million students by transforming instruction, closing learning gaps, and achieving award-winning growth.