Arkansas Administrative Code
Agency 005 - DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Division 28 - Division of Elementary and Secondary Education
Rule 005.28.24-028 - DESE Rule Governing Professional Development

Universal Citation: AR Admin Rules 005.28.24-028

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

1.00 REGULATORY AUTHORITY

1.01 This rule shall be known as the Division Of Elementary and Secondary Education Rule Governing Professional Development.

1.02 Arkansas law requires the following professional development be provided for educators:
1.02.1 A public school district or open-enrollment public charter school shall provide no less than six (6) professional development days under section 3.13 in the basic contract for educators under Ark. Code Ann. § 6-17-2402;

1.02.2 Institutions of higher education shall provide professional development within teacher preparation programs on:
1.02.2.1 Child maltreatment, under Ark. Code Ann. § 6-61-133;

1.02.2.2 Dyslexia, under Ark. Code Ann. § 6-41-609; and

1.02.2.3 Code of Ethics, under Ark. Code Ann. § 6-17-428.

1.03 The State Board of Education enacts this rule pursuant to its authority set forth in Ark. Code Ann. §§ 6-10-122, 6-10-123, 6-11-105, § 6-15-1104, 6-15-1703, 6-17-402, 6-17-701 et seq., 6-18-2004, 6-20-2204, 6-20-2305, 6-41-609, 6-61-133, and 25-15-201 et seq.

2.00 PURPOSES

2.01 It is the purpose of this rule to develop a high quality professional development system for all educators.

2.02 The purpose of professional development is to improve knowledge and skills in order to facilitate individual, team, school-wide, and district-wide improvement designed to ensure that all students demonstrate proficiency on the state academic standards.

3.00 DEFINITIONS

3.01 "Approved Professional Development Provider" means any organization or individual that provides content for professional development, whether delivered in a face-to-face or electronic mode of delivery, whose content has been approved by the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education to meet professional development requirements for school employees.
3.01.1 The following entities and agencies are not required to obtain approval as an Approved Professional Development Provider:
3.01.1.1 An Arkansas public school district, open-enrollment public charter school, or education service cooperative that provides a professional development program solely to its own personnel;

3.01.1.2 An education service cooperative that provides professional development to public school districts, public schools, or both; and

3.01.1.3 The Arkansas Department of Education.

3.02 "Arkansas IDEAS" means a partnership between the division and the Arkansas Educational Television Network (AETN) to provide access to high-quality, online professional development for Arkansas educators.

3.03 "Educator" means any individual holding a license issued by the State Board of Education or any individual employed under a waiver of teacher licensure under Arkansas Code §§ 6-23-101 et seq, Arkansas Code § 6-15-2801 et seq, Arkansas Code § 6-15-103, or the Standards for Accreditation for Arkansas Public Schools, including without limitation teachers, administrators, library media specialists, and counselors.

3.04 "High school equivalency test examiner" means an individual working with a student to assist the student in passing the General Education Development (GED) test under Arkansas Code 6-16-118 or another test used to assess high school core subject competencies that is approved by the state board.

3.05 "Illness" means disorder of health of an educator or an educator's immediate family.

3.06 "Immediate family" means an educator's:
3.06.1 Spouse;

3.06.2 Child;

3.06.3 Parent; or

3.06.4 Any other relative if the other relative lives in the same household as the educator;

3.07 "LEADS" means the Leader Excellence and Development System under Arkansas Code § 6-17-2806.

3.08 "Mentoring" means actions of support and focused feedback designed to increase the capacity for growth of instructional skills and effectiveness of colleagues.

3.09 "Microcredential" means personalized, job-embedded, competency-based professional development that leads to professional learning credit, designation, or microcredential badges or any combination of the three.

3.10 "Professional development" means a set of coordinated planned learning activities for teachers, administrators, and nonlicensed school employees that:
3.10.1 Is required by statute or by the division; or

3.10.2 Meets the following criteria:
3.10.2.1 Is part of the professional development hours or professional learning credits, as determined by the division, required by law or by the division;

3.10.2.2 Improves the knowledge, skills, and effectiveness of teachers;

3.10.2.3 Improves the knowledge and skills of administrators and paraprofessionals concerning effective instructional strategies, methods, and skills;

3.10.2.4 Leads to improved student academic achievement; and

3.10.2.5 Is research-based and standards-based.

3.10.3 May incorporate educational technology as a component of the professional development, including without limitation taking or teaching an online or blended course; and

3.10.4 May provide educators with knowledge and skills needed to teach:
3.10.4.1 Students with intellectual disabilities, including without limitation Autism Spectrum Disorder;

3.10.4.2 Students with specific learning disorders, including without limitation dyslexia;

3.10.4.3 Culturally and linguistically diverse students; and

3.10.4.4 Gifted students.

3.12 "Professional development day" means either six (6) hours of professional development or one professional learning credit.

3.13 "Professional development hour" means a traditional delivery-based method of professional development.

3.14 "Professional development plan" means a plan that outlines the professional development program of activities for a public school district or open-enrollment charter school or an educator that is based on student data and incorporates an educator's professional growth plan.

3.15 "Professional development program" means a course of instruction intended to provide content that fulfills the requirement for professional development credit for educators.

3.16 "Professional growth plan" means an educator's plan for professional growth that:
3.16.1 Identifies professional learning outcomes to advance the educator's professional skills; and

3.16.2 Clearly links professional development activities and the educator's individual professional learning needs identified through TESS or LEADS.

3.17 "Professional learning credit" means a method of professional development that may have a nontraditional format such as a micro-credentialing process approved by the division.

3.18 "Study groups" means a group of educators who meet to learn, implement, and reflect on research-based techniques in a focus area(s). Members read and discuss current research, examine and reflect on effective instruction, or examine student work.

3.19 "TESS" means the Teacher Excellence and Support System in Arkansas Code § 6-17-2801 et seq.

4.00 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT GENERALLY

4.01 To renew an educator license, a teacher shall participate in continuing education and professional development:
4.01.1 Based on the teacher's evaluation and professional growth plan under TESS;

4.01.2 As required under Arkansas Code § 6-17-701 et seq.;

4.01.3 As part of a basic contract under Arkansas Code § 6-17-2402; and

4.01.4 As required by these rules.

4.02 To renew an expired educator license, the educator shall complete professional development:
4.02.1 Required for licensure under the professional development schedule in Arkansas Code § 6-17-709;

4.02.2 On the educator Code of Ethics, under Arkansas Code § 6-17-428;

4.02.3 Required for the educator to obtain credentials for proficiency or awareness of the science of reading, as applicable under the Right to Read Act, Arkansas Code § 6-17-429, if those credentials are not already documented in the Arkansas Educator Licensing System.

4.03 Professional development must be earned between July 1 and June 30 unless the employing public school district or open-enrollment charter school approves and documents the professional development year as between June 1 and May 31.

4.04 Professional development earned during the instructional day or outside the educator's contract may apply toward required professional development.

4.05 Any educator who misses any part of regularly scheduled professional development activities for any reason must make up that time in other approved professional development activities so that the hours of professional development required annually are earned during the approved time frame required under section 4.02 of this rule, except as provided below:
4.05.1 If the educator is absent because of illness of the educator or the educator's immediate family, the educator shall be allowed to make up the hours missed during the remainder of the current school year or succeeding school year.

4.05.2 An educator shall complete any missed hours of professional development through professional development that is:
4.05.2.1 Substantially similar to the professional development missed and approved by the person responsible for the educator's summative evaluation; and

4.05.2.2 Delivered by any method that is approved by the division under this rule.

4.06 Any educator who provides professional development approved by the division may count two (2) hours professional development credit for each one (1) hour of time spent in presenting professional development content, if approved by the educator's public school district or open-enrollment public charter school.

4.07 Five (5) hours of credit for professional development shall be given for each one (1) hour of college credit for a graduate-level course
4.07.1 Professional development obtained under Section 4.07 may be allocated as follows:
4.07.1.1 Up to fifteen (15) hours may be credited to the professional development requirements for licensure; and

4.07.1.2 Hours obtained in excess of fifteen (15) may be credited to any remaining requirements for professional development generally, if approved by the school district in a professional development plan.

4.08 The allocation of professional development credit obtained under Section 4.07 shall be approved by the:
4.08.1 Public school district or open-enrollment public charter school employing the teacher; or

4.08.2 Division of Elementary and Secondary Education, if the educator is not employed by a public school district or open-enrollment public charter school.

4.09 An educator may earn up to twelve (12) hours of professional development credit approved by the school or school district, which may be applied toward the professional development requirement for the time period at the beginning of each school year that is used to plan and prepare curriculum or develop other instructional material. Educators shall be entitled to one (1) hour of professional development credit for each hour of approved preparation under this section, provided the educator spends the time:
4.09.1 In his or her instructional classroom, office or media center at the public school; and

4.09.2 Prior to the first student teacher interaction day of the school year; and

4.09.3 In the focus areas listed in Section 8.02.

4.10 Educators may count up to two (2) professional development days for attendance at instructional professional development sessions conducted by bona fide professional organizations and approved by the division under A.C.A. § 6-17-702.

4.11 Nothing in Section 4 shall prevent or restrict a public school district or open-enrollment public charter school from requiring additional in-service training.

5.00 SCHEDULED PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

5.01 The professional development required under this section shall include content that is provided by:
5.01.1 The Division of Elementary and Secondary Education, including Arkansas IDEAS;

5.01.2 An institution of higher education;

5.01.3 A provider approved by the division; or

5.01.4 An education service cooperative.

5.02 The professional development required under this section shall be counted for the school year that the professional development is earned toward the required professional development for that school year.

5.03 If an educator earns additional professional development beyond the requirements of this section, the educator may count the additional professional development toward required professional development for educators for that school year.

5.04 A public school district or open-enrollment public charter school shall make available to the appropriate educator, or an educator not employed by a public school district or open-enrollment public charter school shall obtain, required professional development.
5.04.1 Professional development required within one year of receiving a teaching license shall include:
5.04.1.1 Two (2) hours of professional development for mandated reporters, which covers:
5.04.1.1.a Recognizing the signs and symptoms of child maltreatment;

5.04.1.1.b The legal requirements of the Child Maltreatment Act, Arkansas Code § 12-18-101 et seq., and the duties of mandated reporters under the Act;

5.04.1.1.c Methods for managing disclosures regarding child victims; and

5.04.1.1.d Methods for connecting a victim of child maltreatment to appropriate in-school services and other agencies, programs, and services needed to provide the child with the emotional and educational support the child needs to continue to be successful in school.

5.04.1.1.e The child maltreatment professional development required under this section shall be based on curriculum approved by the Arkansas Child Abuse/Rape/Domestic Violence Commission and may be earned in-person or online.

5.04.1.2 Two (2) hours of professional development on family and community engagement
5.04.1.2.a Each educator shall be required to have two (2) hours of professional development designed to enhance understanding of effective family and community engagement strategies.

5.04.1.2.b If the appropriate licensed personnel has completed the family and community engagement professional development required under section 5.04.1.2.a at least one (1) time before the 2023-2024 school year, he or she shall not be required to complete the family and community engagement professional development again.

5.04.1.3 Two hours of professional development on mental health awareness and teen suicide awareness and prevention;
5.04.1.3.a The required professional development under this section may be accomplished by self-review of suitable mental health awareness and suicide prevention materials approved by the division.

5.04.1.4 Two hours of professional development in Arkansas history for educators providing instruction in Arkansas history.
5.04.1.4.a If the appropriate licensed personnel has completed the Arkansas history professional development required under subdivision of this section at least one (1) time before the 2023-2024 school year, he or she shall not be required to complete the Arkansas history professional development again, except as may be required for the subject matter he or she teaches.

5.04.1.5 Thirty (30) minutes of professional development in human trafficking prevention, including:
5.04.15.a Recognizing the warning signs that a child is a victim of human trafficking; and

5.04.1.5.b Reporting a suspicion that a child is a victim of human trafficking.

5.04.1.6 Two (2) hours of professional development in bullying prevention, including:
5.04.1.6.a Recognition of the relationship between incidents of bullying and the risk of suicide.

5.04.1.7 Dyslexia professional awareness, including:
5.04.1.7.a The characteristics of dyslexia; and

5.04.1.7.b The evidence-based interventions and accommodations for dyslexia.

5.05 In addition to the professional development required for initial licensure, the following rotating schedule shall apply:
5.05.1 Beginning with the 2023-2024 school year and every fifth year thereafter, an educator shall be required to earn the professional development on mental health awareness and teen suicide awareness and prevention required under 5.04.1.3.

5.05.2 Beginning with the 2024-2025 school year, and every fifth year thereafter, an educator shall be required to earn the professional development in bullying prevention required under 5.04.1.6.

5.05.3 Beginning with the 2025-2026 school year, and every fifth year thereafter, an educator shall be required to earn the professional development for mandated reporters required under 5.04.1.1

5.06 The professional development in human trafficking prevention under 5.04.1.5 will be offered annually.

5.07 The required professional development under this section shall count toward the satisfaction of requirements for professional development in the Standards for Accreditation of Arkansas Public Schools and School Districts and for licensure requirements for licensed personnel.

6.00 REQUIREMENTS FOR SPECIFIC LICENSURE AREAS

6.01 For each administrator, required professional development shall include training in data disaggregation, instructional leadership, and fiscal management.
6.01.1 This training may include without limitation the Initial, Tier 1, and Tier 2 training required for superintendents and district designees by the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education Rules Governing the Arkansas Financial Accounting and Reporting System and Annual Training Requirements.

6.01.2 An applicant for a building-level administrator license shall successfully complete the teacher evaluation professional development program.
6.01.2.1 An educator who receives an initial building level administrator's license shall complete credentialing for the teacher evaluation professional development program either before or after receiving the initial building level administrator's license.

6.02 At least once every three (3) years, each person employed as an athletic coach shall obtain training in recognition and management regarding each of the following events or conditions that may be encountered by a student during athletic training and physical activities:
6.02.1 A concussion, dehydration, or other health emergency;

6.02.2 An environmental issue that threatens the health or safety of students; and

6.02.3 A communicable disease.

6.02.4 The training may include a component on best practices for a coach to educate parents of students involved in athletics on sports safety.

6.03 Each hour of approved training received by educators related to teaching an advanced placement class for a subject covered by the College Board and Educational Testing Service shall count as professional development up to a maximum of thirty (30) hours annually.

6.04 Educators working solely part-time in one of the following settings shall obtain one-half (1/2) of the required hours of professional development annually for licensure.
6.04.1 Adult basic education;

6.04.2 General adult education;

6.04.3 English as a second language for adults; and

6.04.4 High school equivalency test examiners.

7.00 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CRITERIA

7.01 All approved professional development shall be aligned to the standards developed by the State Board of Education.

7.02 Approved professional development activities shall relate to the following focus areas:
7.02.1 Content (K-12);

7.02.2 Instructional strategies;

7.02.3 Student assessment and data-driven decisionmaking;

7.02.4 Advocacy, leadership, and fiscal management;

7.02.5 Systemic change process;

7.02.6 Standards, frameworks, and curriculum alignment;

7.02.7 Supervision;

7.02.8 Mentoring;

7.02.9 Next-generation learning and technology integration;

7.02.10 Principles of learning and developmental stages;

7.02.11 Cognitive research;

7.02.12 Family and community engagement and academic planning;

7.02.13 Collaborative learning community;

7.02.14 Student health and wellness, which may include but is not limited to:
7.02.14.1 Antibullying policies;

7.02.14.2 Appropriate training for anticipated rescuers in the use of automated external defibrillator or cardiopulmonary resuscitation; and

7.02.15 The Code of Ethics for Arkansas Educators.

7.03 Approved professional development takes on many forms and may be earned in the following ways:
7.03.1 Conferences, workshops, or institutes;

7.03.2 Mentoring or peer coaching;

7.03.3 Study groups

7.03.4 National Board for Professional Teaching Standards Certification;

7.03.5 Distance and online learning, including Arkansas IDEAS;

7.03.6 Internships;

7.03.7 Programs administered by the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education, an education service cooperative, a public school district, or an open-enrollment public charter school;

7.03.8 College or university course work;

7.03.9 Action research; or

7.03.10 Individually-guided, as noted in an educator's individual professional development plan.

7.04 Requirements for Arkansas IDEAS include:
7.04.1 The division shall determine the content and approve all professional development delivered through the Arkansas On-line Professional Development Initiative that counts toward required professional development.

7.04.2 The division shall select courses, products, or both, which are research-based and are available from sources, with expertise in technology-delivered professional development.

7.04.3 Online professional development shall include online registration, assessment, evaluation, and attendance and completion documents.

7.05 A person who holds any license issued by the state board may obtain credit for required professional development through a micro-credentialing process approved by the division.

8.00 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLANS

8.01 Each public school district or open-enrollment public charter school shall develop and implement a professional development plan.
8.01.1 Teachers, administrators, and paraprofessionals shall be involved in the design, implementation, and evaluation of their respective professional development offerings under a public school district or open-enrollment public charter school's professional development plan.

8.01.2 An educator may count toward required professional development each hour of training included in the professional development plan that is mandated by law or by rule, including without limitation in the following areas:
8.01.2.1 School Fire Marshal Program under Arkansas Code § 6-10-110;

8.01.2.2 Tornado and earthquake safety under Arkansas Code § 6-10-121;

8.01.2.3 Literacy assessment, mathematics assessment, or both under Arkansas Code § 6-15-2907;

8.01.2.4 Assessment security and confidentiality under Arkansas Code § 6-15-2907(i);

8.01.2.5 Emergency plans and panic button alert systems under Arkansas Code § 6-15-1302;

8.01.2.6 Anti-bullying policies under Arkansas Code § 6-18-514;

8.01.2.7 Teacher Excellence and Support System under Arkansas Code § 6-17-2804;

8.01.2.8 Student discipline training under Arkansas Code § 6-18-502;

8.01.2.9 Youth mental health training under Arkansas Code § 6-18-2004;

8.01.2.10 Training required by the division under Arkansas Code § 6-15-2901 et seq, Arkansas Code § 6-20-1901 et seq, Arkansas Code § 6-21-811, or any accompanying Division of Elementary and Secondary Education rules; and

8.01.2.11 Annual active shooter drills under Arkansas Code § 6-15-1303.

8.02 The Division of Elementary and Secondary Education may require specific professional development programs for a public school district or open-enrollment public charter school identified as in need of targeted, comprehensive, or intensive support under the Rules Governing The Arkansas Educational Support And Accountability Act.

9.00 PROVIDER AND PROGRAM APPROVAL PROCESS

9.01 All professional development providers and programs must be approved by the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education to be eligible to provide credit toward required professional development.
9.01.1 A person whose license has been revoked by the State Board of Education is not eligible to be an approved provider of professional development.

9.02 At least thirty (30) days before a program is offered to educators, the professional development provider shall provide a detailed description of the entire program including staff qualifications to the division in an electronic format prescribed by the division.

9.03 The division shall promptly review the content of the program for compliance with all applicable law to determine if any or all of the program content shall be deemed to provide professional development credit and shall establish the time period the professional development provider is approved to offer the program.

9.04 Upon notification by the division of approval of the program (or a part or parts thereof) for professional development credit, the professional development provider may enroll participants in the program and offer the program for professional development credit for the set time period.

9.05 The program provider shall be responsible for the preparation and dissemination of proof of completion of the program, or parts thereof, to all attendees. All proof shall be submitted by the attendees who are employed by a public school district or open-enrollment public charter school to the superintendent of the district, or the chief executive of the open-enrollment public charter school.

10.00 FUNDING

10.01 Professional Development Funding provided under Arkansas Code § 6-20-2305 must be directed to activities that meet the conditions described in this rule and shall not be used for any other purpose unless otherwise allowed by law or rule.

11.00 REPORTING, MONITORING, AND EVALUATION

11.01 Each public school district or open-enrollment public charter school shall maintain all documents for its employees that reflect completion of professional development programs, whether those programs were provided by an outside organization or by the public school district or open-enrollment public charter school itself.

11.02 Each public school district or open-enrollment public charter school shall report the amount of all professional development programs completed by its employees to the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education at the time and in the manner specified by the division.

11.03 The division may monitor all public school districts or open-enrollment public charter schools, and all educators to whom this rule applies, for compliance with these requirements, and may administer appropriate sanctions as authorized by law, including the Rule Governing the Code of Ethics for Arkansas Educators, to any public school district, open-enrollment public charter school, or educator whom it finds to be in noncompliance or to have falsified reporting.
11.03.1 Regular monitoring activities of the professional development requirements within this rule shall occur when the superintendent of the school district or the chief executive of the open-enrollment public charter school provides written assurance to the Commissioner of Education as required by law. However, the division may directly monitor the professional development activities of any public school district or open-enrollment public charter school to determine compliance with the professional development requirements.

11.04 All institutions of higher education shall maintain documentation for employees who wish to meet the professional development hours to maintain a license under these rules.

Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. Arkansas may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.
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