August 11, 2016 at 10:00 AM - State Board of Education

Description:  The applicant data from this information is used to compile the Applicant Flow Chart forms for the Affirmative Action Report, which demonstrates the composition of applicants through the selecting, hiring,
promoting and terminating process.  The information is needed to measure the effectiveness of the agency's recruitment, hiring and promotion efforts and is in conformity with federal government guidelines, which require the agency to compile statistical information about applicants for employment.

Description:  Arkansas Code Annotated §6-17-309 requires local school districts to secure a waiver when classrooms are staffed with unlicensed teachers for longer than 30 days.  Requests were received from 25 school districts covering a total of 55 waivers.  There were also requests for long-term substitutes from 6 school districts requesting a total of 9 waivers for long-term substitutes. These requests have been reviewed, were either approved or denied by Department staff, and are consistent with program guidelines.

Description:  Violation of Standard 1. An educator maintains a professional relationship with each student, both in and outside the classroom. Violation of Standard 2. An educator maintains competence regarding his or her professional practice inclusive of skills, knowledge, dispositions, and responsibilities relating to his or her organizational position. The Professional Licensure Standards Board Ethics Subcommittee recommends that the State Board issue a written reprimand and assess a $50.00 fine. Ms. Brewer did not respond within the required thirty (30) day period.

Description:  Violation of Standard 1. An educator maintains a professional relationship with each student, both in and outside the classroom. Violation of Standard 2. An educator maintains competence regarding his or her professional practice inclusive of skills, knowledge, dispositions, and responsibilities relating to his or her organizational position. Violation of Standard 3.  An educator honestly fulfills reporting obligations associated with professional practices. The Professional Licensure Standards Board Ethics Subcommittee recommends that the State Board issue a written warning. Ms. Stroth accepted the recommendation on June 18, 2016.

Description:  The members of the Arkansas State Board of Education are requested to review the following:
Commercial Bond Application – 2 Second Lien and 9 Voted
With the recommendation to approve from the Loan Committee and additional information provided by the school district in its application package:
• Pursuant to Arkansas Code Annotated § 6-20-805 concerning the Revolving Loan Program, the State Board of Education, in its discretion and after considering the merits of each application with the loan committee recommendation, may approve a school district revolving loan application for the full amount of the proposed loan, approve the application for a loan of a lesser amount than requested, or disapprove the application.
• Pursuant to Arkansas Code Annotated § 6-20-1205 concerning school district bonds, a school district shall not sell bonds until the issue is approved by the State Board of Education. Therefore, the State Board of Education, in its discretion and after considering the merits of each application with the loan committee recommendation, may approve a school district bond application for the full amount of the proposed bond issue, approve the application for a lesser amount than requested, or disapprove the application.

Description:  Pursuant to Ark. Code Ann. § 6-13-112, a quarterly status report is provided for each school district currently under state authority. 

Description:  Pursuant to Ark. Code Ann. § 6-13-112, a quarterly status report is provided for each school district currently under state authority. 

Description:  Pursuant to Arkansas Code Annotated § 6-13-1020, education service cooperatives shall file annual reports with the Department of Education for State Board approval. 

Description:  Acts 345 of 2015 amended Ark. Code Ann. § 6-20-2204 regarding the Educational Financial Accounting and Reporting Act required training.  Changes to these rules are necessary to implement theses changes. ADE staff respectfully requests the State Board release this rule for public comment.

Description:  Pursuant to Ark. Code Ann. § 6-18-1901 et seq. and the Arkansas Department of Education Rules Governing the Public School Choice Act of 2015, the Kincaid family appeals the decision of the Bryant School District to deny its children's school choice applications for the 2016-2017 school year.  The family resides in the Little Rock School District.

Description:  Pursuant to Ark. Code Ann. § 6-18-1901 et seq. and the Arkansas Department of Education Rules Governing the Public School Choice Act of 2015, the Molnar family appeals the decision of the Mountainburg School District to deny its children's school choice applications for the 2016-2017 school year.  The family resides in the Greenland School District.

Description:  Pursuant to Ark. Code Ann. § 6-18-1901 et seq. and the Arkansas Department of Education Rules Governing the Public School Choice Act of 2015, the Newton family appeals the decision of the Pulaski County Special School District to deny its child's school choice application for the 2016-2017 school year.  The family resides in the Little Rock School District.

Description:  Pursuant to Ark. Code Ann. § 6-18-1901 et seq. and the Arkansas Department of Education Rules Governing the Public School Choice Act of 2015, the Wall family appeals the decision of the White Hall School District to deny its child's school choice application for the 2016-2017 school year.  The family resides in the Pine Bluff School District.

Description:  Pursuant to Ark. Code Ann. § 6-18-1901 et seq. and the Arkansas Department of Education Rules Governing the Public School Choice Act of 2015, the Campbell family appeals the decision of the White Hall School District to deny its child's school choice application for the 2016-2017 school year.  The family resides in the Pine Bluff School District.

Description:  Pursuant to Ark. Code Ann. § 6-18-1901 et seq. and the Arkansas Department of Education Rules Governing the Public School Choice Act of 2015, the Wilson family appeals the decision of the White Hall School District to deny its child's school choice application for the 2016-2017 school year.  The family resides in the Dollarway School District.

Description:  Pursuant to Ark. Code Ann. § 6-18-227 and the Arkansas Department of Education Rules Governing the Opportunity Public School Choice Act, the Wilson Family appeals the decision of the White Hall School District to deny an Opportunity School Choice transfer to its child for the 2016-2017 school year.  Family is zoned to attend the Dollarway School District.

Description:  Pursuant to Ark. Code Ann. § 6-18-227 and the Arkansas Department of Education Rules Governing the Opportunity Public School Choice Act, the Allen Family appeals the decision of the White Hall School District to deny Opportunity School Choice Applications to its children for the 2016-2017 school year.  Family is zoned to attend the Dollarway School District.

Description:  Pursuant to Ark. Code Ann. § 6-18-227 and the Arkansas Department of Education Rules Governing the Opportunity Public School Choice Act, the Allen Family appeals the decision of the Pulaski County Special School District to deny an Opportunity School Choice Application for the 2016-2017 school year.  Family is zoned to attend the Jacksonville Middle School.

Description:  Ann Johnson holds an Arkansas Standard Teaching License. The Office of Educator Effectiveness, National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, recommends suspension of this license for nonpayment of funds expended by the Arkansas Department of Education for National Board Candidacy. Efforts have been made to contact Ms. Johnson concerning her nonpayment of funds. The recommendation is for the teaching license to be suspended until payment is made in full.

Description:  Robin Johnson holds an Arkansas Standard Teaching License. The Office of Educator Effectiveness, National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, recommends suspension of this license for nonpayment of funds expended by the Arkansas Department of Education for National Board Candidacy. Efforts have been made to contact Ms. Johnson concerning her nonpayment of funds. The recommendation is for the teaching license to be suspended until payment is made in full.

Description:  Julia Rice holds an Arkansas Standard Teaching License. The Office of Educator Effectiveness, National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, recommends suspension of this license for nonpayment of funds expended by the Arkansas Department of Education for National Board Candidacy. Efforts have been made to contact Ms. Rice concerning her nonpayment of funds. The recommendation is for the teaching license to be suspended until payment is made in full.

Description:  Heather Coats-Richardson holds an Arkansas Standard Teaching License. The Office of Educator Effectiveness, National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, recommends suspension of this license for nonpayment of funds expended by the Arkansas Department of Education for National Board Candidacy. Efforts have been made to contact Ms. Coats-Richardson concerning her nonpayment of funds. The recommendation is for the teaching license to be suspended until payment is made in full.

Description:  Ashley Nelson holds an Arkansas Standard Teaching License. The Office of Educator Effectiveness, National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, recommends suspension of this license for nonpayment of funds expended by the Arkansas Department of Education for National Board Candidacy. Efforts have been made to contact Ms. Nelson concerning her nonpayment of funds. The recommendation is for the teaching license to be suspended until payment is made in full.

Description:  Elizabeth Quinn holds an Arkansas Standard Teaching License. The Office of Educator Effectiveness, National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, recommends suspension of this license for nonpayment of funds expended by the Arkansas Department of Education for National Board Candidacy. Efforts have been made to contact Ms. Quinn concerning her nonpayment of funds. The recommendation is for the teaching license to be suspended until payment is made in full.

Description:  Trina Walls holds an Arkansas Standard Teaching License. The Office of Educator Effectiveness, National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, recommends suspension of this license for nonpayment of funds expended by the Arkansas Department of Education for National Board Candidacy. Efforts have been made to contact Ms. Walls concerning her nonpayment of funds. The recommendation is for the teaching license to be suspended until payment is made in full.

Description:  The Mineral Springs School District filed an appeal of the identification of Mineral Springs High School as meeting the criteria for Academic Distress.  According to Section 3.02.2.1 of the ACTAAP Rules, a school may be identified/classified as being in Academic Distress if 49.5% or less of its students achieve proficient or advanced in math and literacy on the state-mandated criterion referenced assessments administered for the most recent three (3) year period.  If the school district's appeal is denied, the State Board must further consider classifying the Mineral Springs High School as a school in Academic Distress.   

Description:  Act 1240 of 2015 allows a school district to petition the State Board of Education for all or some of the waivers granted to open-enrollment public charter schools that serve students who reside in the school district.  On April 14, 2016, the State Board of Education approved waivers for the Greenbrier
School District.  Representatives of the district are appearing before the Board with another petition for waivers.

Description:  Act 1240 of 2015 allows a school district to petition the State Board of Education for all or some of the waivers granted to open-enrollment public charter schools that serve students who reside in the school district.  On July 15, 2016, the State Board of Education approved waivers for the Hamburg School District.  Representatives of the district are appearing before the Board with another petition for a waiver. 

Description:  The Arkansas Computer Science Standards for High School are designed to provide foundational understandings of concepts in computer science that are necessary for students to function in an ever-changing technological world. Through these standards, students will explore, apply, and
move toward mastery in skills and concepts related to Computational Thinking
and Problem Solving; Data and Information; Algorithms and Programs; Computers
and Communications; and Community, Global, and Ethical Impacts. These standards
help students learn to accomplish tasks and solve problems independently and
collaboratively. These standards give students the tools and skills needed to
be successful in college and careers, whether in computer science or in other
fields.

The Arkansas Department of Education requests that the State Board place no pre-requisites on the Arkansas Computer Science High School Courses, and allow schools to place students in any of the courses based on ability and desire. The ADE recommends that districts develop and formally adopt a written policy outlining placement protocols.  Evaluation tools and placement criteria will be the responsibility of the local districts. Though there are no specific course prerequisites, students enrolling in Advanced Programming, Advanced Networking, or Advanced Information Security should understand and be able to apply the content/concepts found within the Arkansas Computer Science Courses
Levels 1 - 4.

ADE recommends schools enroll students across levels and emphases in the same sections of the master schedule (a.k.a. stacking) as long as the number of students do not exceed Standards of
Accreditation maximums and/or ratios, and the school can reasonably assure a high-quality educational experience for all students within that section.

ADE requests that the State Board adopt all portions of the documents except the teacher clarification notes. The teacher clarification notes follow the standard[s] to which they apply and are indicated by the word “NOTE.”

ADE requests that official implementation of the Arkansas Computer Science Standards and Courses for Grades 9-12 begins during the 2017-2018 school year, with acknowledgement that these standards and
courses will replace all existing ADE and Arkansas Career Education computer science courses that year. ADE also requests that the State Board grant authority for schools that wish to be early adopters of any of these courses, particularly the Independent Study and/or Internship Program be allowed to do
so in 2016-2017. 

Description:  The EPPR provides information on enrollees and graduates at the institutions and reports demographic and statistical data to inform policy decisions. The commitment of EPPs to providing accurate, relevant data in a timely manner demonstrates their dedication and contribution to the success of this effort. All parties involved share an interest in preparing the best possible educators to provide a quality education to all Arkansas students.
The 2016 EPPR report data will be used by the Professional Licensure Standards Board as one data source for program audits.  The 2016 EPPR includes a statewide report and reports for each Institution of Higher Education (IHE) or other organization that offers a state approved preparation program. We ask the Board's approval of the 2016 EPPRs.

https://adedata.arkansas.gov/eppr/

https://adedata.arkansas.gov/eppr/StatewideReports.aspx

https://adedata.arkansas.gov/eppr/IHEReports.aspx

Description:  Act 832 of 2015 amended Ark. Code Ann. § 6-15-504 regarding required testing for home school students.  A public comment hearing was held on July 29, 2016.  The public comment period ended on July 29, 2016.   Public comments were received, but no substantive changes were made.  Governor's approval was received on June 20, 2016.  Department staff respectfully requests that the State Board give approval for these rules.

Description:  At its December meeting, the Board shall adopt meeting dates for the following calendar year.  The ADE requests the 2017 schedule be approved for planning purposes.

Description:  Dr. Michael Nellums has requested to provide public comment.