Title 6, Education

(a) (1) A public elementary school in the state shall provide instruction for at least forty (40) minutes, as determined by the superintendent of the school district, in visual art and at least forty (40) minutes, as determined by the superintendent of the school district, in mus…

(a) The General Assembly finds that:(1) Research has shown that active children become active adults;(2) Children who engage in physical education at school are twice as likely to engage in physical activity outside of school;(3) Research has shown that physical exercise contribu…

(a) In recognition of and tribute to veterans who left high school before graduation to serve in World War II, a board of directors of any school district in Arkansas may grant a diploma of graduation to any veteran meeting the requirements of subsection (c) of this section. (b) …

(a) In recognition of and tribute to veterans who left high school before graduation to serve in the Korean War or the Vietnam War, a board of directors of any school district in Arkansas may grant a diploma of graduation to any veteran meeting the requirements of subsection (c) …

(a) The Division of Elementary and Secondary Education, in consultation with the Division of Career and Technical Education and subject to the approval of the State Board of Education, shall develop personal and family finance standards. (b) The standards shall include the follow…

(a) The General Assembly finds that:(1) Arkansas public schools face a serious shortage of teachers;(2) Educational technology can help lift the burden of teacher shortages by making distance learning available across the state; and(3) Distance learning should be available to eve…

(a) For the purposes of this section:(1) “Content standards” means those curriculum course content standards identified and set out in the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education curriculum frameworks;(2) “Curriculum frameworks” means those content-specific requirements id…

(a) In order to prepare public school students in the State of Arkansas for successful participation in a growing knowledge-based economy and technology-rich world and to improve student achievement, the public school curriculum must integrate technology into the educational proc…

(a) A student who successfully completes an approved vocational or technical career pathway or program of study at a public high school shall be awarded a certificate of attainment that shall be:(1) Aligned in the appropriate career pathway or program of study; and(2) Used for co…

This subchapter may be cited as the “Digital Learning Act of 2013”.

(a) It is the intent of the General Assembly to:(1) Provide for the expansion of digital learning opportunities to all Arkansas public school students; and(2) Remove any impediments to the expansion of digital learning opportunities. (1) Provide for the expansion of digital learn…

(a) (1) As used in this subchapter, “digital learning” means a digital technology or internet-based educational delivery model that does not rely exclusively on compressed interactive video.(2) Digital learning services may be procured from both in-state and out-of-state digital …

(a) All public school districts and public charter schools shall provide at least one (1) digital learning course to their students as either a primary or supplementary method of instruction. (b) All digital learning courses provided by public school districts or public charter s…

(1) A student who completes two (2) semesters of a Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps program shall receive credit for both of the following requirements for graduation from high school under the rules of the State Board of Education:(1) One-half (½) unit of physical educati…

(a) As used in this section, “American Sign Language” means the visual natural language recognized globally that is linguistically complete with unique rules for language structure and use, including without limitation phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and discourse. (b) …

(a) Beginning with the 2014-2015 school year, a public school student in grades nine through twelve (9-12) shall be trained in quality psychomotor skill bases in cardiopulmonary resuscitation before the student graduates from high school. (b) The course shall not be a certificati…

(a) The General Assembly finds that:(1) Integration of the arts is an effective tool to reinforce the rigor and relevance specific to the newly adopted Arkansas State Standards;(2) Research indicates that:(A) An arts-infused curriculum offers a powerful tool to promote student ac…

(a) (1) The State Board of Education shall allow for an elective academic study of the Bible course or courses that consist of a nonsectarian, nonreligious academic study of the Bible and its influence on literature, art, music, culture, and politics to be offered to students in …

(a) Beginning in the 2015-2016 school year, every public elementary school shall teach cursive writing as a component of English language arts by the end of grade three (3). (b) The State Board of Education shall adopt rules to administer this section that shall address the requi…

(a) Beginning in the 2015-2016 school year, a public high school or public charter high school shall offer at least one (1) computer science course at the high school level. (b) A computer science course offered by a public high school or public charter high school shall:(1) Be o…

(a) The following social studies or history courses offered in grades seven through twelve (7-12) include a relevant review of United States history from the period of colonization through 1890, specifically including the colonial period, the American Revolution, the foundations …

(a) (1) Beginning in the 2018-2019 school year, in order to receive a high school diploma from a public school or a high school equivalency diploma from a state entity, a student shall:(A) Take a test that is identical to the civics portion of the naturalization test used by the …

A student in high school who enlists in a branch of the United States Armed Forces or the National Guard through the military delayed entry program, the National Guard Split Training Option, or other similar early entry program and completes basic training before graduating from …

(a) The General Assembly finds that some students are unlikely to become reengaged in their education through the traditional high school pathway to a high school diploma because they have:(1) Failed multiple classes and are far behind their peers in accumulating credits to gradu…

(a) The Reengagement System and Differentiated Pathway to a High School Diploma Program is established. (b) The purpose of the program is to provide appropriate educational opportunities and access to services for students sixteen (16) years of age to twenty-one (21) years of age…

(1) As used in this subchapter:(1) “Eligible student” means a student who is:(A) At least sixteen (16) years of age;(B) Either:(i) Below the fifty percent (50%) of credits required for grade level and the minimum set of credits needed to complete a high school diploma from a publ…

(a) A school district may participate in the Reengagement System and Differentiated Pathway to a High School Diploma Program by entering into:(1) A model contract as specified under § 6-16-1505; or(2) An interlocal agreement as specified under § 6-16-1505. (1) A model contract as…

(a) The State Board of Education shall develop and adopt a model contract and model interlocal agreement that a school district can tailor to its needs for adopting a participating program in the Reengagement System and Differentiated Pathway to a High School Diploma Program. (b)…

(1) The State Board of Education shall adopt rules to implement the Reengagement System and Differentiated Pathway to a High School Diploma Program, including without limitation rules addressing:(1) The eligibility of a student at least sixteen (16) years of age but less than nin…

For purposes of employment in the State of Arkansas or a political subdivision of the State of Arkansas, earning a high school diploma through the passage of a nationally recognized high school equivalency exam, such as the GED test, shall be treated the same as the receipt of a …

(a) As used throughout Title 6, unless otherwise provided:(1) “Extracurricular activity” means an intraschool activity not included in a regular curriculum, including without limitation sports and special interest clubs or groups;(2) “Interscholastic activity” means an interschoo…

(a) This section shall be known and may be cited as the “Computer Science Education Advancement Act of 2021”. (b) (1) Beginning with the entering ninth grade class of 2022-2023, a public high school student shall be required to earn one (1) unit of creditin a Department of Educat…

(a) A public school or public school district may offer to its public school students in grades five through twelve (5-12) a hunting safety course as part of the public school's or public school district's physical education and health and safety curriculum. (b) A hunting safety …

(a) Beginning in the 2022-2023 school year, Holocaust education shall be taught in all public schools in a manner that:(1) Generates an understanding of the causes, course, and effects of the Holocaust;(2) Develops dialogue with students on the ramifications of bullying, bigotry,…

(a) The General Assembly finds that:(1) The proper means through which parents and legal guardians may influence curriculum, instructional materials, and the events and activities supplemental to instruction is with a public school district administration and local public school …

(a) (1) The Secretary of the Department of Education shall take established steps to ensure that the Department of Education and its employees, contractors, guest speakers, and lecturers are in compliance with Title IV and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Pub. L. No. 88-…

(a) The Division of Elementary and Secondary Education shall:(1) (A) Enhance or adapt curriculum materials to assist public school personnel in providing instruction through a multidisciplinary approach on the detection, intervention, prevention, and treatment of child sexual abu…

(a) For purposes of this section, “water safety” means age-appropriate education that is intended to:(1) Promote safety in, on, and around bodies of water; and(2) Reduce the risk of injury or drowning. (1) Promote safety in, on, and around bodies of water; and (2) Reduce the risk…

(a) (1) Beginning with the 2025-2026 school year, the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education may consult industry stakeholders, including without limitation the Department of Agriculture and the Arkansas Farm Bureau Federation in order to establish a pilot program to prov…

To raise awareness of mental illness, remove stigma and misunderstanding associated with mental illness, and provide support for those who experience mental illness, the first full week of classes in May in Arkansas schools shall be recognized as “Mental Health Awareness Week”.

This subchapter shall be known and may be cited as the “Arkansas High-Impact Tutoring Pilot Program”.

There is established the Arkansas High-Impact Tutoring Pilot Program.

(1) Beginning in the 2023-2024 school year, the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education shall administer the Arkansas High-Impact Tutoring Pilot Program, which shall include without limitation:(1) Determining:(A) Program requirements;(B) Student eligibility criteria, which…

(a) Each participating public school district and open-enrollment public charter school shall:(1) Submit a plan for the administration of the Arkansas High-Impact Tutoring Pilot Program in the public school district or open-enrollment public charter school to the Division of Elem…

(a) (1) Beginning with the 2023-2024 school year, each public school in the state shall provide instruction on adoption awareness to students enrolled in grades six through twelve (6-12) at the public school for a period of time not to exceed one (1) hour during each school year.…

(a) A public school or an open-enrollment public charter school may award a student enrolled in the public school or open-enrollment public charter school a high school diploma before the established graduation date if:(1) The student enrolled in the public school or open-enrollm…