Arkansas Administrative Code
Agency 005 - DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Division 16 - Division of Human Resources ***
Rule 005.16.11-002 - ADE 303: Rules Governing Eligibility and Financial Incentives For Certified Speech-Language Pathologists

Universal Citation: AR Admin Rules 005.16.11-002

Current through Register Vol. 49, No. 9, September, 2024

1.00 Regulatory Authority

1.01 These rules shall be known as the Arkansas Department of Education Rules Governing Eligibility and Financial Incentives For Certified Speech-Language Pathologists.

1.02 These rules are enacted under the State Board of Education's authority pursuant to Ark. Code Ann. §§ 6-11-105 and 6-17-413.

2.00 Purpose

2.01 The purposes of these rules are to ensure the availability and retention of certified speech-language pathologists by providing additional compensation for speech-language pathologists holding a Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech Language Pathology from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.

3.00 Definitions

For the purposes of these rules, the following terms shall mean:

3.01 "Department" means the Arkansas Department of Education.

3.02 "Certified speech-language pathologist" means a speech-language pathologist who:
3.02.1 Has a master's degree, which includes medical-based training;

3.02.2 Has completed a one (1) year clinical fellowship;

3.02.3 Has passed the Praxis II Speech Language Pathology Test; and

3.02.4 Holds a Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.

4.00 Payment of Bonuses for Certified Speech-Language Pathologists

4.01 By December 1 of each year, the Department shall pay a yearly incentive bonus of five thousand dollars ($5,000) to a certified speech-language pathologist who:
4.01.1 Holds an Arkansas teaching license in speech-language pathology;

4.01.2 Is a full-time employee of an Arkansas education service cooperative or public school district as a speech-language pathologist at the time of receiving the bonus; and

4.01.3 Is not considered a purchased service contractor, but may be employed under a teacher contract subject to renewal under Ark. Code Ann. § 6-17-1506.

5.00 Monitoring for Certified Speech-Language Pathologists

5.01 The local public school district that employs a certified speech-language pathologist must verify to the Department annually the employment status of that speech-language pathologist.

5.02 A certified speech-language pathologist shall not receive a yearly bonus if the person leaves the full-time employment of an Arkansas public school district.

5.03 If a certified speech-language pathologist who receives a bonus under this subsection leaves employment in the Arkansas public school system before completing three (3) continuous school years of employment, the speech-language pathologist shall repay the Department a prorated portion of the bonus received in the school year based on a daily rate for the remainder of a school year in which the speech-language pathologist leaves employment.
5.03.1 The first year of the three (3) continuous school years is the first year that the speech-language pathologist received a bonus under this subsection 5.03.

5.03.2 The daily rate is calculated as the amount of the annual bonus paid to the speech-language pathologist divided by the number of days in the speech-language pathologist's contract.

5.03.3 The State Board of Education may suspend the Arkansas speech-language pathology license of any person who fails to repay the amount of the bonus required to be repaid under this subdivision 5.03.

5.03.4 Repayment of all or a portion of a bonus under this subdivision 5.03 is not required if, due to the death or disability of the speech-language pathologist or other extenuating circumstances as may be recognized by the State Board of Education, the speech-language pathologist does not remain employed in the Arkansas public school system for three (3) continuous school years after first receiving the bonus under this subsection.

6.00 Funding for Certified Speech-Language Pathologists

6.01 Bonuses paid to a certified speech-language pathologist shall be paid from the funds appropriated and available for bonuses to certified speech-language pathologists.
6.01.1 If sufficient funds are not available to pay the full amount of the bonus to each certified speech-language pathologist as provided under this section, the Department may reduce the amount of the bonus for each qualified recipient, proportionately as necessary to provide a bonus to each qualified speech-language pathologist in an equal amount.

6.01.2 The cost and expenses related to training for or acquisition of the Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association shall not be funded through the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards program created under Ark. Code Ann. §§ 6-17-412 and 413 and shall be the responsibility of the certified speech-language pathologist.

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