Arkansas Administrative Code
Agency 005 - DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Division 28 - Division of Elementary and Secondary Education
Rule 005.28.22-008 - Visual and Performing Arts Instruction for Students in Grades One through Eight (1-8)

1.01 These Rules shall be known as the Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary Education Rules Governing Visual Instruction for students in grades one through eight (1-8).

1.02 The State Board of Education promulgates these Rules pursuant to the regulatory authority provided in Arkansas Code Annotated § 6-11-105 and § 6-16-130.

2.01 "Class Size" means maximum student/teacher ratios for grades one through three (1-3) and four through eight (4-8) as defined in the DESE Rules Governing Standards for Accreditation of Arkansas Public Schools and School Districts. Music classes (general music, instrumental ensemble, and vocal ensemble) lend themselves to large group instruction and may exceed class size ratios.

2.02 "Academic Standards" means discipline-based documents, approved by the State Board, which clearly describe what students must know and be able to do in each academic content area of visual and performing arts.

2.03 "Equivalent amounts of time" means the number of cumulative clock hours of instruction that within a school year would be equal to forty (40) minutes of instruction per week in each content area.

2.04 "Licensed teacher" means an individual who holds a valid Arkansas teaching license with a certification in the subject area to be taught. For the purpose of these Rules, the subject areas are visual and performing arts.

2.05 "Performing Arts Instruction" means the teaching of those content standards and learning expectations which are contained within the artistic processes of the Academic Standards for Dance, Music, and Theatre.

2.06 "Student" means any individual enrolled in grades one through eight (1-8), including those individuals with disabilities or other special needs.

2.07 "Visual Art Instruction" means the teaching of those content standards and learning expectations which are contained within the artistic processes of the Academic Standards for Visual Art.

3.01 Every student in grades one through six (1-6) enrolled in a public school or an open enrollment public charter school that is configured as an elementary school shall receive no less than forty (40) minutes in visual art instruction and no less than forty (40) minutes in performing arts instruction based on the state academic standards for visual and performing arts each calendar week of the school year, or an equivalent amount of time; or,

3.02 A student in grades five (5) or six (6) enrolled in a public school or an openenrollment public charter school that is not configured as an elementary school, or a student enrolled in grade seven (7) or eight (8) shall participate in:

3.03 The instruction in visual and performing arts must be provided by a licensed teacher certified to teach in the respective course area being taught.