Arkansas Administrative Code

6 CAR § 189-101. Purpose. The purposes of this part 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 Patholo…

6 CAR § 189-102. Definitions. For the purposes of this part, the following terms shall mean: (1) "Certified speech-language pathologist" means a speech-language pathologist who: (A) Has a master’s degree, which includes medical-based training; (B) Has completed a one-year clinica…

6 CAR § 189-103. Payment of bonuses for certified speech-language pathologists. By December 1 of each year, the Department of Education shall pay a yearly incentive bonus of five thousand dollars ($5,000) to a certified speech-language pathologist who: (1) Holds an Arkansas teach…

6 CAR § 189-104. Monitoring for certified speech-language pathologists. (a) The local public school district that employs a certified speech-language pathologist must verify to the Department of Education annually the employment status of that speech-language pathologist. (b) A c…

6 CAR § 189-105. Funding for certified speech-language pathologists. (a) Bonuses paid to a certified speech-language pathologist shall be paid from the funds appropriated and available for bonuses to certified speech-language pathologists. (b) If sufficient funds are not availabl…

6 CAR § 190-101. Purpose. The purpose of this part is: (1) The improvement of student learning by strengthening principal leadership; (2) The encouragement of principals to participate in and complete the Master School Principal Program by authorizing the Division of Elementary a…

6 CAR § 190-102. Definitions. For the purposes of this part, the following terms shall mean: (1) "Arkansas Leadership Academy" is defined as a collaborative partnership which identifies and designates principals who meet rigorous standards by effectively demonstrating student lea…

6 CAR § 190-103. Selection process and requirements. (a)(1) The Arkansas Leadership Academy administers the Master School Principal Program. (2) Program applications are available from the academy. (3)(A) All Arkansas public school building-level principals with one (1) year of e…

6 CAR § 190-104. Payment of fees and bonuses. (a) Incentive bonus. (1) The Division of Elementary and Secondary Education shall pay a: (A) Nine-thousand-dollar annual incentive bonus to a school district that employs a master principal designee as a full-time building-level princ…

6 CAR § 190-105. Repayment of yearly incentive bonus. (a)(1) Repayment of state funds for the Arkansas Leadership Academy Master School Principal Program is required if a recipient does not complete the school year in which the bonus was received as a full-time building-level pri…

6 CAR § 190-106. Monitoring. The local public school district that employs a master principal must verify to the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education annually the employment status of that principal for each year of the five-year annual incentive bonus eligibility.…

6 CAR § 190-107. Funding. (a) The payment for any bonus under this part is subject to the appropriation and availability of funds. (b) To the extent funds as provided for by Arkansas Code § 6-17-1601 et seq. are available, such funds may be used to fund the: (1) Incentive bonus; …

6 CAR § 191-101. Purpose of this part. The purpose of this part is to implement and establish the process governing the Arkansas Teacher of the Year Program.

6 CAR § 191-102. Definitions. As used in this part: (1) “In residence” means working exclusively with the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education at a location agreed upon between the: (A) Division of Elementary and Secondary Education; and (B) Arkansas Teacher of the Year…

6 CAR § 191-103. Implementation. (a)(1) The Division of Elementary and Secondary Education shall develop a process for selecting the Arkansas Teacher of the Year. (2) This process shall work in conjunction with and in support of the process for selecting a National Teacher of the…

6 CAR § 191-104. School district’s responsibilities. (a) Any school district whose applicant is selected as Arkansas Teacher of the Year shall place that teacher on paid administrative leave for the school year immediately following the teacher’s selection as Arkansas Teacher of …

6 CAR § 191-105. Division of Elementary and Secondary Education’s responsibilities. (a)(1) During the school year in which a school district’s teacher of the year is on paid administrative leave, the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education shall reimburse the school distri…

6 CAR § 191-106. Nonvoting member of the State Board of Education. (a) While serving as Arkansas Teacher of the Year, the Arkansas Teacher of the Year also shall serve in an advisory position as a nonvoting member to the State Board of Education. (b) The Arkansas Teacher of the Y…

6 CAR § 192-101. Purpose. (a) The purpose of this part is to: (1) Define standards of ethical conduct for all educators, whether licensed or employed under a legal waiver from licensure; and (2) Outline procedures for: (A) Receiving complaints; (B) Authorizing and conducting inve…

6 CAR § 192-102. Applicability. (a) The valid Arkansas educator’s license of any person shall be subject to the conditions, requirements, and mandates of the Code of Ethics, procedures, and recommendations for enforcement. (b) An educator who is employed under a waiver of licensu…

6 CAR § 192-103. Definitions. As used in this part: (1) “Acted upon” means that the State Board of Education has taken an action to address an ethics complaint by revoking, suspending, or imposing another sanction upon an educator’s license; (2)(A) An “authorized ethics complaint…

6 CAR § 192-104. The Code of Ethics for Arkansas educators. (a) All Arkansas educators, preservice teachers, and those employed under a waiver of licensure must adhere to the Code of Ethics represented below. (b) An allegation of unethical conduct authorized for investigation and…

6 CAR § 192-105. Recommended disciplinary action. (a)(1) The ethics subcommittee or ethics hearing subcommittee is authorized to recommend to the State Board of Education: (A) Levels of public notification for ethics violation for a nonlicensed educator; or (B) For a licensed edu…

6 CAR § 192-106. Fines and fees. (a)(1) The Professional Licensure Standards Board may recommend to the State Board of Education for approval, as authorized by Arkansas Code §§ 6-17-422(h)(3)(C) and 6-17-428, monetary fees to be paid by a person for the issuance, reissuance, fine…

6 CAR § 192-107. Disclosure of records. (a)(1) When the State Board of Education issues a written reprimand for violation of the Code of Ethics, it will be reported to the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education but is not publicly viewable in AELS. (2) The division will d…

6 CAR § 192-108. Mandatory filing of allegation and ethics violations review. (a) Within twenty-four (24) hours of a matter coming to the attention of a public school supervisor, a supervisor at an Arkansas public educational setting shall file an ethics complaint if he or she ob…

6 CAR § 192-109. Procedures for the investigation of an ethics complaint. (a) Submitting an allegation of violation of the Code of Ethics. (1) Any person wishing to submit an allegation of an ethics violation must use the allegation of violation form (“allegation form”) developed…

6 CAR § 192-110. Procedures for the initial determination and recommendation of the ethics subcommittee. (a)(1) The ethics subcommittee shall take action on the ethics complaint by making an initial determination and recommendation not more than sixty (60) days after receipt of t…

6 CAR § 192-111. Motions before the ethics subcommittee or ethics hearing subcommittee. (a) An educator or his or her representative who has requested an evidentiary hearing may file a motion by serving it on the attorney for the Professional Licensure Standards Board, who shall:…

6 CAR § 192-112. Evidentiary hearings. (a) Request for and scheduling of an evidentiary hearing. (1) If the educator requests an evidentiary hearing, the hearing will be held before the ethics hearing subcommittee: (A) Within one hundred eighty (180) days of the date the investig…

6 CAR § 192-113. Subpoenas. (a)(1) At the request of a party to a proceeding pending before the Professional Licensure Standards Board or its subcommittees, the Chair of the board may issue a subpoena and bring before the board, or the chair of the ethics hearing subcommittee may…

6 CAR § 192-114. State Board of Education review. (a) The State Board of Education may remove a Professional Licensure Standards Board recommendation from its consent agenda for further review as follows: (1) The state board will request that the review be placed on the action ag…

6 CAR § 192-115. Appeal to circuit court. (a) The educator may file an appeal of the State Board of Education’s final order to circuit court within thirty (30) days pursuant to the Arkansas Administrative Procedure Act, Arkansas Code § 25-15-201 et seq. (b) The thirty-day time pe…

6 CAR § 193-101. Purpose. The purpose of this part is to outline the agreements required by Arkansas Code § 6-17-122, the reimbursement process, and other related procedures regarding paid maternity leave for eligible employees.

6 CAR § 193-102. Definitions. As used in this part: (1) “Adoptive child” means a minor child who has been legally adopted by an eligible employee pursuant to the Revised Uniform Adoption Act, Arkansas Code § 9-9-201 et seq.; (2) “Agreement” means the agreement entered into betwee…

6 CAR § 193-104. Reimbursement requirements. (a) A public school district or open-enrollment public charter school may claim reimbursement only for incurred nonfederal costs for substitute staff for the eligible employee, for up to twelve (12) weeks, while the eligible employee, …

6 CAR § 193-105. Eligible employee maternity leave. (a) Effective July 1, 2025, an eligible employee shall receive upon written request to the employing public school district or open-enrollment public charter school up to twelve (12) weeks of paid maternity leave as defined in A…

6 CAR § 194-101. Purpose. (a) It is the purpose of this part to set forth the requirements for a criminal background check and a Child Maltreatment Central Registry check for each: (1) First-time applicant for a license issued by the State Board of Education; (2) Applicant for hi…

6 CAR § 194-102. Definitions. For the purposes of this part: (1) “Affected district” means a public school district that loses territory or students as a result of: (A) Annexation; (B) Consolidation; or (C) Detachment; (2) “Applicant” includes any individual who must apply to the…

6 CAR § 194-103. Licensure, license renewals, and license revocation. (a) Unless a waiver is granted pursuant to this section, the State Board of Education shall not issue a license or license renewal to, and shall revoke, suspend, or place on probation the existing license of an…

6 CAR § 194-104. Background checks required for licensure and school employment. (a)(1) Except as otherwise provided herein, an applicant may not be issued a first-time license or license renewal, nor may an applicant be employed by or serve in a supervised clinical practice at a…

6 CAR § 194-105. Background check procedures. (a)(1) The criminal records check and Child Maltreatment Central Registry check required by this part shall be initiated by the submission to the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education of a form developed by the Division of El…

6 CAR § 194-106. Reporting requirements for superintendents, directors of educational entities, and third-party vendors. (a) The superintendent or director of an educational entity, or a third-party vendor, shall report in writing to the Division of Elementary and Secondary Educa…

6 CAR § 194-107. Fiscal officers. (a) In addition to the requirements of 6 CAR § 194-104 of this part, an educational entity shall not employ as a fiscal officer any individual who has pled guilty or nolo contendere to, or has been found guilty of, a fraudulent act. (b)(1) A curr…

6 CAR § 194-108. State Board of Education hearing procedures. (a) Each party shall exchange exhibits and witness lists not less than ten (10) calendar days before the scheduled hearing date unless both parties agree to a shorter period of time. (b) Requests for subpoenas must be …

6 CAR § 195-101. Purpose. The purpose of this part is to establish the requirements and procedures concerning the: (1) School Worker Defense Program; and (2) School Worker Defense Program Advisory Board.

6 CAR § 195-102. Definitions. As used in this part: (1) “Authorized volunteers” and “volunteers in a registered volunteers program” means those who meet the definition of “volunteer” and “registered volunteer” pursuant to the Arkansas Registered Volunteers Program Act, Arkansas C…