Current through Register Vol. 49, No. 9, September, 2024
1.00
PURPOSE
1.01 The purpose of these
rules is to establish the requirements and procedures for renewing a standard
Arkansas teaching license.
2.00
REGULATORY AUTHORITY
2.01 These rules are promulgated pursuant to
the authority of the State Board of Education under Ark. Code Ann. §§
6-11-105 Rep 1999),
25-15-204 (Supp.1999) and Ark.
Code Ann. §
6-17-402.
3.00
DEFINITIONS- For purposes of this
rule the following terms shall be defined as follows:
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3.01 Teaching Experience-
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That time period of experience gained while working in
an educational setting as a teacher, librarian counselor, administrator,
educational consultant, or substitute teacher, etc.
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3.02 Educational Setting-
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The employment setting where one is working as a
teacher, librarian, counselor, administrator, educational consultant, or
substitute teacher. This may be a public or private school, college/
university, educational co-op, Department of Education, adult education
setting, or other agency or organization that employs licensed teachers in an
educational setting.
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3.03 Professional -Development
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A coordinated set of planned, research-based, learning
activities for teachers and administrators employed in positions directly
related to instructional activities that is tied to the improvement of student
achievement, the teachers/administrators personal improvement plan and the
overall school improvement plan. Professional development for licensed
employees in positions, not directly related to instructional activities shall
be prorated among those areas specifically related to their job
assignment.
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3.04 Year of Teaching Experienice -
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A year of teaching experience shall be a minimum of
120 days per school year or calendar year while employed in an educational
setting.
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3.05 Immediate Previous Year-
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The spring and fall semester of the current calendar
year, (OR) the spring semester of the current calendar year and the prior fall
semester.
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3.06 College Level Coursework-
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Coursework taken from a regionally or nationally
accredited college/university that is in the area of licensure (OR)
professional education coursework at the current level of licensure (OR)
educational technology/computer courses (OR) a combination of the above
mentioned.
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3.07 Three-Quarter Time-
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That period of time employed during a school or
calendar year that equals three fourths of the contracted/work time for that
school, agency or other organization that employs licensed teachers. Teachers
employed three-quarter time, shall have completed 45 hours of professional
development.
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3.08 One-Half Time-
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That period of time employed during a school or
calendar year that equals one half of the contracted/work time for that school,
agency or other organization that employs licensed teachers. Teachers employed
one-half time, shall have completed 30 hours of professional
development.
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3.09 One-Quarter Time-
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That period of time employed during a school or
calendar year that equals one quarter of the contracted/work time for that
school, agency or other organization that employs licensed teachers.
Teachers employed one-quarter time, shall have
completed 15 hours of professional development.
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3.10 Grace Period-
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That period of time immediately following the
expiration of a standard teaching license, not to exceed one calendar year or
one school year, for which a teacher is granted a provisional license in order
to satisfy general renewal requirements.
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4.00
GENERAL RENEWAL REQUIRMENTS FOR A STANDARD ARKANSAS TEACHING
LICENSE
4.01 Teachers holding a
current, valid five-year standard Arkansas teaching license may renew that
license provided they meet the following general renewal requirements.
4.01.1 Teachers not teaching in a public
school setting or teachers that have not met requirements for the automatic
renewal of their teaching license shall submit an application for the renewal
of their teaching license to the Office of Professional Licensure.
4.01.2 The teacher shall document at least
two years of teaching experience during the previous five (5) years or one (1)
year of teaching experience for the immediate previous year.
4.01.3 The teacher shall have successfully
all background checks as required by law.
4.01.4 If employed full time, the teacher
shall document sixty (60) hours of professional development for each year of
experience during the previous five (5) years.
4.01.5 Professional development for teachers
employed part time shall be pro-rated on the basis of three-quarter time,
half-time or one-quarter time.
4.01.6 A teacher may add partial years of
experience over the previous five years to document the two years of teaching
experience necessary to renew their teaching license.
4.02 Teachers holding a valid, six (6) or ten
(10) year standard teaching license, shall meet the following general renewal
requirements:
4.02.1 Teachers not teaching in
a public school setting, or teachers that have not met requirements for the
automatic renewal of their teaching license shall submit an application for the
renewal of their teaching license to the Office of Professional
Licensure.
4.02.2 The teacher shall
document at least two (2) years of teaching during the previous five (5) years
or one (1) year of teaching experience for the immediate previous
year.
4.02.3 If employed full-time,
the teacher shall document sixty (60) hours of professional development for
each year taught beginning with the 2005-2006 school year.
4.02.4 The teacher shall have successfully
completed all background checks as required by law.
4.02.5 Professional development for teachers
employed part time shall be pro-rated on the basis of three-quarter time,
half-time or one-quarter time.
4.02.6 A teacher may add partial years of
experience over the previous five years to document the two years of teaching
experience necessary to renew their teaching license.
5.00
REQUIREMENTS
FOR THE RENEWAL OF A STANDARD FIVE (5), SIX (6) OR TEN (10) YEAR TEACHING
LICENSE THAT HAS BEEN EXPIRED FOR ONE (1) YEAR OR LONGER.
5.01 Teachers holding a standard five (5),
six (6), or ten (10) year teaching license that has been expired for one (1)
year or longer, may have their license renewed provided they meet the following
renewal requirements:
5.01.1 The teacher
shall submit a completed application for the renewal of their teaching license
to the Office of Professional Licensure.
5.01.2 The teacher shall have successfully
completed all background checks as required by law.
5.01.3 Teachers that have completed a
previous specialty area assessment in at least one licensure/endorsement area
may choose to complete the following requirements:
5.01.3.1 Successfully complete the current
state required specialty area assessment in at least one licensure /endorsement
area;
[AND]
5.01.3.2 Successfully complete the current
state required pedagogy assessment at their level of licensure. When the
teacher holds licensure areas at different levels, they may take the pedagogy
assessment at the level of their choice.
[OR]
5.01.3.3 Complete six hours of college level
coursework from a nationally/regionally accredited college or
university.
5.01.4
Teachers that have never successfully completed a specialty area assessment in
at least one licensure/endorsement area shall successfully complete the
current, state required specialty area assessment in at least one of their
licensure/endorsement areas and successfully complete the current state
required pedagogy assessment at their level of licensure. When the teacher
holds licensure at different levels, they may complete the pedagogy assessment
at the level of their choice.
6.00 POLICIES AND PROCEDURES FOR RENEWAL OF A
QUALIFIED CANDIDATES STANDARD ARKANSAS TEACHING LICENSE
6.01 The Arkansas standard teaching license
shall be renewed for a period of five years.
6.02 The effective date of a renewed teaching
license shall be January 1 of the year following the expiration date of the
license.
6.03 The effective date of
a renewed teaching license that has been expired longer than one year shall be
January 1 of the year renewed.
6.04
The expiration date of a renewed standard teaching license shall be December 31
of the fifth year.
6.05 The
effective date of a one-year, non-renewable, provisional teaching license shall
be the hire date as documented by the employer.
6.06 The expiration date of a one-year,
non-renewable, provisional teaching license shall be one year from the hire
date.
6.07 There shall be a grace
period of one year immediately following the expiration date of a standard
teaching license to meet general renewal requirements.
6.08 Individuals not teaching in a public
school setting or individuals that have not met requirements for the automatic
renewal of their teaching license shall submit an application for the renewal
of their teaching license to the Office of Professional Licensure.
6.09 Teachers applying for the renewal of
their teaching license shall have successfully completed all background checks
as required by law.
6.10 A
one-year, non-renewable provisional teaching license shall be available for
teachers that have not met general renewal requirements and hold an expired
teaching license. Individuals shall have successfully completed all background
checks as required by law.
6.11
Applications for the renewal of a standard Arkansas teaching license may be
submitted to the Office of Professional Licensure as early as six-months prior
to the expiration date of the license.
6.12 Coursework used for the renewal of a
standard teaching license shall be college level and from a
regionally/nationally accredited college/university. The coursework shall be in
the licensure area(s) held by the teacher (OR) professional education courses
at the level of licensure held by the teacher (OR) basic computer/education
technology courses.
6.13
Documentation of experience for renewal purposes shall be provided by a public
school superintendent, director of human resources, or director of other
agency/organization employing licensed teachers.
6.14 Documentation of the required
professional development for the renewal of a teaching license shall be
provided by a public school superintendent, human resources director, or
director of other agency/ organization employing licensed teachers.
6.15 Professional development shall be
required for those years taught during the previous five year period or for the
one year of teaching experience for the immediate previous year.
6.16 Teachers that did not meet renewal
requirements under Act 350 of 1985 shall meet the renewal requirements that are
required of all other teachers and shall be eligible for a one-year provisional
teaching license.
6.17 Teachers
employed part-time shall be able to add partial years of experience during the
previous five years to meet the general renewal requirements.
6.18 The Office of Professional Licensure, as
authorized by the State Board of Education, reserves the right to amend and/or
rescind any Arkansas teaching license that has been issued in
error.
7.00
REQUIRMENTS FOR OBTAINING A ONE-YEAR NON-RENEWABLE PROVISIONAL TEACHING
LICENSE.
7.01 The teacher shall hold an
expired five (5), six (6) or ten (10) year standard Arkansas teaching
license.
7.02 The teacher shall
have submitted a completed application for the provisional teaching license to
the Office of Professional Licensure.
7.03 The teacher shall have successfully
completed all background checks as required by law.
8.00
REQUIREMENTS FOR CONVERTING THE
ONE-YEAR, NON RENEWABLE PROVISIONAL TEACHING LICENSE TO THE STANDARD, FIVE-YEAR
TEACHING LICENSE.
8.01 When a teachers
license has been expired for one year or longer, a provisional license granted
pursuant to section 6.10 may be converted to a standard, five year license
provided the teacher has completed the requirements of section 5.00 of these
rules.
9.00
REQUIREMENTS FOR RENEWING A STANDARD TEACHING LICENSE DURING THE ONE-YEAR GRACE
PERIOD.
9.01 The teacher shall have
submitted a completed application for the provisional teaching license to the
Office of Professional Licensure.
9.02 Teachers shall be employed for one
school or calendar year in an educational setting the year immediately
following the expiration of their teaching license.
9.03 Teachers shall complete sixty hours of
staff development.
