Title 6 — Education

(a) (1) (A) The Division of Elementary and Secondary Education shall pay the full amount of the participation fee of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards and provide, if determined to be necessary by the division, substitute pay for a maximum of three (3) days o…

(a) (1) (A) (i) Except as provided in subdivision (a)(1)(C) of this section, the board of directors of an educational entity shall require as a condition for initial employment or noncontinuous reemployment in a nonlicensed staff position any person making application to apply to…

(a) It is the clear intent of the General Assembly to authorize each public school district at its discretion to require criminal background checks and Child Maltreatment Central Registry checks of existing nonlicensed employees in the same manner and subject to the same terms an…

Employees, whether new or existing, who have a contract with or work for more than one (1) school district in one (1) year shall be required to have only one (1) criminal background check and one (1) Child Maltreatment Central Registry check to satisfy the requirements of all emp…

(a) As used in this section, “applicant” means a person who must apply to the Identification Bureau of the Division of Arkansas State Police for a statewide and nationwide criminal records check as a condition for a license issued by the State Board of Education or as a condition…

(a) A person shall not be licensed as a social studies teacher or as an elementary school teacher unless the person has successfully completed:(1) For a person seeking a traditional first-time license, at least three (3) college-credit hours in Arkansas history at an accredited i…

(a) (1) A person who holds an Arkansas teaching license that is expired for more than one (1) year, who obtained the license before state-mandated licensure assessments were required by law and by rule for licensure, and who has less than three (3) years of teaching experience sh…

A.C.A. § 6-17-420Current through all legislation of the 2025 Regular Session.Arkansas Code of 1987 Annotated Official EditionCopyright © 2026 by the State of Arkansas All rights reserved

(a) For purposes of this section:(1) “Applicant” means an individual who is applying for initial employment as a fiscal officer of an educational entity;(2) “Educational entity” means:(A) A school district;(B) An open-enrollment public charter school; or(C) An education service c…

(a) There is established the Professional Licensure Standards Board. (b) (1) The Professional Licensure Standards Board shall consist of twenty (20) members appointed by the State Board of Education as follows:(A) The Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education or his or h…

(a) In order to maintain a valid teacher's license under § 6-17-401, a person who retires while possessing a valid teacher's license under § 6-17-401 shall not be required to complete approved professional development required by rule of the State Board of Education. (b) (1) A pe…

(a) A school counselor is an eligible candidate for an initial administrator license if the school counselor:(1) Holds a current standard teaching license;(2) Has a minimum of four (4) years' experience as a school counselor;(3) Holds a graduate degree from a regionally accredite…

(a) (1) The following boards shall have the power to issue subpoenas and bring before the board as a witness any person in this state:(A) Professional Licensure Standards Board, § 6-17-422; and(B) State Board of Education, § 6-11-101 et seq.(2) The Professional Licensure Standard…

(a) (1) The Legislative Joint Auditing Committee may refer an audit report of a school district to the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education if:(A) The audit report of the school district identifies a substantial issue of noncompliance with state or federal financial rep…

(a) (1) The Division of Elementary and Secondary Education shall develop and sponsor a superintendent mentoring program for first-year superintendents that includes without limitation:(A) Curriculum and instruction;(B) Ethics;(C) Facilities;(D) Human resources;(E) Leadership;(F) …

(a) As used in this section:(1) “Code of ethics” means the code of ethics for educators established by the Professional Licensure Standards Board under § 6-17-422;(2) “Educator” means, at the time of the alleged violation:(A) A person holding a valid Arkansas standard teaching li…

(a) This section shall be known and may be cited as the “Right to Read Act”. (b) (1) (A) The following shall have proficient knowledge and skills to teach reading consistent with the best practices of scientific reading instruction:(i) A person who completes a state-approved educ…

(a) The Division of Elementary and Secondary Education may grant a license under this subchapter to an individual who, in addition to fulfilling the requirements to teach in this state, satisfies the following requirements:(1) The United States Department of Homeland Security has…

(a) By the 2023-2024 school year, each public school district and open-enrollment public charter school shall:(1) (A) Develop a math intervention plan for each student in grades three through eight (3-8) who is not performing at or above grade level on the state assessment, as de…

(a) The Division of Elementary and Secondary Education is authorized and directed to develop and implement an inclusive statewide program to improve the reading skills of students in the public schools of this state. (b) The program shall include an in-service training program to…

(a) (1) (A) A school district shall not deny licensed personnel the opportunity to attend certified instructional staff development sessions conducted by bona fide professional organizations within the state.(B) Licensed personnel may count up to two (2) days of six (6) hours eac…

(a) A school district shall provide two (2) hours, or professional learning credits as determined by the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education, of substantive and meaningful professional development in Arkansas history for its teachers who provide instruction in Arkansas…

(a) As used in this section, “professional development” means a set of coordinated planned learning activities for teachers, administrators, and nonlicensed school employees that:(1) Is required by statute or by the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education; or(2) Meets the …

(a) Up to twelve (12) hours of professional development credit, or professional learning credits as determined by the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education, may be earned by licensed personnel for time required at the beginning of each school year to plan and prepare a c…

(a) Licensed personnel working part time shall be exempt from one-half (½) of the professional development required under the Standards for Accreditation of Arkansas Public Schools and School Districts if they work solely in any of the following adult education programs:(1) Adult…

(a) There is created the Arkansas Online Professional Development Initiative. (b) Under the initiative, the Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education shall identify teacher professional development needs in the state and prioritize the needs based on the areas of profess…

(a) (1) The Division of Elementary and Secondary Education shall require two (2) hours of professional development, or professional learning credits as determined by the division, in mental health awareness and teen suicide awareness and prevention for licensed public school pers…

(a) Beginning with the 2013-2014 school year, a school district or an open-enrollment public charter school shall make available to the appropriate licensed personnel the following professional development:(1) In the 2013-2014 school year and every fifth school year thereafter, t…

(a) Each year, a school district shall make available to licensed personnel thirty (30) minutes of professional development, or professional learning credit as determined by the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education, on:(1) Recognizing the warning signs that a child is a…

(a) The Division of Elementary and Secondary Education shall require two (2) hours of professional development in the following areas for licensed public school personnel according to the professional development schedule under § 6-17-709:(1) Bullying prevention; and(2) Recogniti…

(a) In any contract of employment entered into by and between a school district and a teacher as defined by Acts 1979, No. 766 [repealed], any provision therein specifying that the employee's salary may be decreased to conform to legal fiscal requirements or any other attempt the…

All public high schools in this state which offer vocational agriculture training shall, beginning with the next school year, contract with the vocational agriculture teachers on a twelve-month basis.

(a) (1) Any school district in this state, at the option of the school district board of directors, may enter into contracts for the hiring of teachers to teach in the next coming school year, whereby the annual salaries of such teachers may be paid on the basis of twelve (12) eq…

For the purpose of payment of group insurance policy premiums, upon the execution by any teacher or other school employee of an appropriate form of authorization and delivery thereof to the fiscal officer of the school district wherein such person is employed, the fiscal officer …

(a) A school district board of directors or representatives of a school district board of directors shall not deduct dues, fees, or contributions from the pay of a teacher or classified employee on behalf of any professional or labor organization or political fund. (b) As used in…

A.C.A. § 6-17-806Current through all legislation of the 2025 Regular Session.Arkansas Code of 1987 Annotated Official EditionCopyright © 2026 by the State of Arkansas All rights reserved

(a) If a teacher is required to work more days than provided for under the teacher's contract, then the teacher's pay under the contract shall be increased proportionately so that the teacher will receive pay for each additional day the teacher is required to work at no less than…

A.C.A. § 6-17-808Current through all legislation of the 2025 Regular Session.Arkansas Code of 1987 Annotated Official EditionCopyright © 2026 by the State of Arkansas All rights reserved

Upon the superintendent's certification to the state personnel administrator of prior service at an educational institution and of the most recent contractual salary, the salary of teachers holding licensure in teaching the visually impaired and entering state service as teachers…

Upon the superintendent's certification to the state personnel administrator of prior service at an educational institution and of the most recent contractual salary, the salary of teachers holding licensure in teaching the Deaf, deaf, or Hard of Hearing and entering state servic…

A.C.A. § 6-17-811Current through all legislation of the 2025 Regular Session.Arkansas Code of 1987 Annotated Official EditionCopyright © 2026 by the State of Arkansas All rights reserved

(a) (1) If a teacher of students in grades five through twelve (5-12) agrees to teach more than the maximum number of students in grades five through twelve (5-12) that is permitted per day under the Standards for Accreditation of Arkansas Public Schools and School Districts, the…

The title of this subchapter shall be “The Arkansas Teachers' Salary Law”.

As used in this subchapter, “teacher” shall include a full-time employee of a school district who is compelled by law to secure a license from the State Board of Education.

(a) The county treasurer of each county in the state is directed to establish for each school district for which he or she is treasurer the following funds:(1) The teachers' salary fund;(2) Operating fund;(3) Building fund;(4) Debt service fund;(5) Capital outlay fund; and(6) Con…

(a) Only warrants or checks in payment of the following shall be paid from the teachers' salary fund:(1) Salaries of teachers;(2) Teachers' contributions to the Arkansas Teacher Retirement System; and(3) (A) Insurance or other fringe benefits for teachers.(B) However, insurance o…

(a) The disbursing officer of the State Board of Education shall withhold any and all state funds due the school districts of any county until the county treasurer has set up his or her records in accordance with § 6-17-907. (b) If the county collector fails to make settlements w…

When acting in the capacity as school district treasurer, the county treasurer is authorized to make advances from one (1) fund to another upon written request from the local school district board of directors during the fiscal year.

(a) The accounts of all school districts shall be audited annually by Arkansas Legislative Audit or a certified public accountant. (b) Where audits are made by a certified public accountant, a certified copy of the audit shall be distributed to the school district, the Department…

A.C.A. § 6-17-914Current through all legislation of the 2025 Regular Session.Arkansas Code of 1987 Annotated Official EditionCopyright © 2026 by the State of Arkansas All rights reserved