Bentonville School District’s Edmentum Courseware Success: From Questions to “Crickets”

Bentonville Schools is the highest performing district in Arkansas. It has a 95% graduation rate, leads the state in both National Merit Finalists and AP participation, and 76% of the district's students taking AP exams score a 3 or higher. This level of achievement has long been a source of pride, but even the most successful schools engage in continuous improvement.  

While the Apex Learning platform was meeting the needs of teachers and students, the district’s systems and defined procedures lacked the cohesion required for effective administration. Shawn Quinlan, Ed.S., Bentonville’s Curriculum Specialist for Literacy (Grades 9–12), says the leadership team viewed the transition to Edmentum Courseware as more than just a platform change. They saw it as an opportunity for a much-needed systems reset; and as the 2025-26 school year began, they made the upgrade.  

"We went into it with a mindset of knowing we needed a system of organization to make all of our procedures more standardized and uniform,” said Quinlan. 

A Transition Led by Specialists and Built for Buy-In 

Bentonville’s strategy for a smooth transition and implementation was rooted in departmental ownership. Rather than a top-down administrative mandate, the district's curriculum specialists played a key role in setting up the new platform—and because Courseware offered a larger selection of courses, everyone had a deeper library to pull from. 

Specialists in math, science, social studies, literacy, and career and technical education (CTE) all dug into the curriculum to make sure it met the needs of Bentonville students, customizing courses to prevent instructional gaps and aligning curriculum with campus needs.  

• Algebra 1 Alignment: The math specialist customized Courseware Algebra 1 to ensure that the content taught digitally was identical in sequence to what was being taught on campus, streamlining learning for students who were in credit recovery or transitioning between learning environments.
• Arkansas Computer Science Requirements: Because computer science is a graduation requirement in Arkansas, the CTE specialists worked closely with teachers and the Edmentum team to pull from multiple modules, creating a customized course that satisfied state-specific mandates.
• Departmental Buy-In: By involving instructional leaders, the district saw quick "buy-in." Teachers felt more comfortable with the new platform because they knew it had been vetted and shaped by the people leading their departments. 

Navigating the Growing Pains 

Any transition of this scale comes with initial challenges. In September, the district experienced some growing pains as teachers and students acclimated to the new interface and logistical access was ironed out. 

However, things quickly quieted down. By the end of the first semester, teachers’ questions had been answered and it was clear the implementation was successful. "They know how to get what they need and how to do what they need to do," says Quinlan.  

Success Across Diverse Learning Environments 

Bentonville serves a diverse student population with unique learning and logistical needs, and Courseware has been adapted to meet them all. 

1. The Gateway Alternative Campus 

The Gateway Alternative Learning Environment program serves students who choose an alternative to their traditional campuses, often due to medical challenges or behavioral needs. In this smaller learning environment, Courseware has become a credit recovery option in the curriculum. 

To meet NCAA requirements, Bentonville uses a "Teacher of Record" model. These teachers provide supplemental assignments and meet with students face-to-face to ensure the rigor of the digital work meets or exceeds that of the traditional classroom.  

At Gateway, the district is seeing an encouraging trend. While Quinlan points to a combination of strong leadership and the shift to Courseware, she notes that early indicators show course completion numbers are trending higher than in previous years. Features like Guided Notes have become essential tools for these students, helping them stay anchored and successful in an individualized setting. 

2. The COMPASS Program and JDC 

The district has also implemented Courseware in its new COMPASS program, an alternative placement serving grades 7–12. Additionally, the platform is used within the Benton County Juvenile Detention Center (JDC), where the district provides services for the county. Because the JDC services students from within and outside the district borders, it requires unique logistical parameters.  

3. Scaling with Exact Path 

Bentonville uses Exact Path for nearly all 9th and 10th grade students, as well as a significant portion of 11th graders. This reaches an estimated 3,000 to 4,000 students across the district's high school campuses. Students engage with diagnostics and personalized learning pathways during FLEX periods (non-credit sessions designed for supplemental instruction and RTI) and teachers use the platform with regular classroom instruction.  

Their Exact Path implementation is driven by a clear set of key objectives:

• Targeting and closing individual skill gaps to demonstrate measurable student growth
• Preparing for state assessments and college entrance exams, such as ACT, PSAT, and SAT
• Purposeful communication with families of students in grades 8–12 to ensure program success

Bentonville has been highly effective in engaging the community through these efforts, with up to 100 parents and students attending the district’s Parent University nights to learn how to access and use Exact Path together.

Strategic Advice for Other Districts Changing Platforms 

For districts making a similar transition, Quinlan recommends keeping the focus on standardization, buy-in, and cross-level communication.

• Before launching, standardize procedures and define rules for course naming, enrollment pacing, and end-of-semester data archiving.
• Let the curriculum specialists or teachers drive and give them time to dig into the curriculum. Their customization can align remote and in-person learning and eliminate instructional gaps.
• Build it with buy-in. When a teacher sees that their own department head has vetted and customized a course, they feel less hesitation.  
• Communicate broadly, so future stakeholders are in the loop even if they aren’t the primary focus this year. Then, when students move up, their digital learning experience stays consistent.
• Get people involved early on. "I wish we had more of them on board in advance," Quinlan reflects. "Ensure every stakeholder, no matter how small the pocket, is at the table from the beginning."
• Anticipate questions and growing pains for a while and give staff the support they need to get past that phase.
• When the logistical questions stop coming, it’s a sign that the systems are working. Stability is the ultimate metric for a successful platform transition.

By prioritizing organization on the back end and customization on the front, Bentonville Schools has proactively addressed questions and potential resistance by achieving a streamlined upgrade. And those “crickets” they’re hearing? That’s the sound of an organized and effective system supporting teachers and students everywhere learning occurs.