This section is provided to help you make the most of Aspire Arkansas launched by the Arkansas Community Foundation.
Aspire Arkansas is rich with information, with indicators provided in both text and graphic format. Detailed information, trends, and maps are also available. Some users will want quick reference information, while others will want more detail. Spending a few minutes reviewing this section may aid your work and help make using the Aspire Arkansas website a more satisfying experience.
Information on this site can be accessed from the category links that extend across the top of the page just above the main image. To view a list of all of the indicators tracked, click on any of the Categories and click on ‘All Indicators’ button. Helpful links are listed to the right-hand side of the search bar on the and at the bottom of the website, including:
| Page Name | Content |
|---|---|
| Create a Dashboard | A visual summary of key indicator data across category areas for Arkansas and counties. |
| Story Maps |
Visit our StoryMap pages to take a deeper dive that help tell the story of some compelling Arkansas statistics. Each story can be shared or printed. |
| About Us |
Information on the goals of the Arkansas Community Foundation and the organizations that participated in developing it and the geographic areas it encompasses. |
| Using the Site | A guide to the site features and functions – current section. |
| Engage Magazine | Articles/blogs regarding the community. |
| Resources | Information about and links to other valuable sources of data. |
The site is organized by categories and indicators. Six categories are shown above the main image (Education, Health, Families, Community, Demographics, and Racial Equity). By clicking on any of these categories, you will be provided with the overview, a list of indicators, and two buttons (‘All Indicators’ and ‘Create a Dashboard’).
On each overview page, there are featured indicators providing quick access to data, a summary of data trends, and a list of indicators in that category.
Here are additional tips for navigating the Aspire Arkansas website:
| GOAL | INSTRUCTIONS |
|---|---|
| To return to the home page... | The home page can be accessed by clicking on the Home link next to the Education category at the top of the website. |
| To get to a category page... | From any page on the site, you can navigate to a category page by clicking on the name at the top of the website. |
| To customize charts... | After clicking on the charts in the detailed indicator pages, you can customize your own chart with the data available by clicking on or off the items in the legend. To view the underlying data, hover over the chart. You may also print or save these charts using the buttons in the upper right corner of the chart. |
| To download data... | After clicking on the detailed indicator pages, scroll to the bottom of a map or table to see the Show Data Table button. This will open the data and a ‘Download Data Table’ to download a spreadsheet. |
| Term | Definition and How it is Used on Aspire Arkansas |
|---|---|
| Indicator | An indicator is a measure that helps to describe an economic, environmental, social, or cultural condition over time. An indicator is usually expressed as a rate or percent, such as the poverty rate, the unemployment rate, or the high school graduation rate. Aspire Arkansas Indicators provides information and analysis over 50 indicators throughout this website. For each of the six indicator categories, the individual indicators are accessed from the main page, or category page. A list of every indicator is available by clicking on “All Indicators” inside each category dropdown. |
| Median | The median refers to the mid-point of a set of values. For example, median household rent in our state (Families) is $47,597. The median represents the mid-point of household income (half the incomes are above the median and half below). |
| Percent | The portion of the whole represented by any given value. The whole is 100 percent, and the percent of any given value is its relationship to 100 percent. Mathematically, the percent is derived by dividing the given value by the value of the whole, and then by multiplying the result by 100 to express the result as a percent. |
| Poverty Level | The United States government uses two principal methods to measure poverty: the poverty thresholds established by the Census Bureau and the poverty guidelines used by the Department of Health and Human Services. The Census Bureau approach is used to determine how many people live in poverty, and the Health and Human Services data is used for various benefit programs, such as eligibility for food stamps. In some applications, eligibility for federal assistance programs is based on multiples of the poverty guidelines (such as 125% or 165% of the poverty level). The difference in these measures is not significant. |
