August 19, 2021 at 9:00 AM - State Board of Education

Description:  The Osceola School District has submitted a Digital Learning Program for students in grades K-12.  The program will offer synchronous and asynchronous learning through a virtual approach using curriculum provided by the district, Edgenuity, and IReady.  Teachers are Arkansas State Certified and provided by the district and the LMS.  Class size waiver will not be required; however, teaching load will not be required for this digital learning request.  The waiver is being requested through the end of the 2023-2024 school year.  This application has been reviewed by the DESE team.

Description:  The County Line School District has submitted a Digital Learning Program for students in grades K-12.  The program will offer synchronous and asynchronous learning through a virtual approach using curriculum provided by the Guy Fenter Consortium and Virtual Arkansas.  Teachers are Arkansas State Certified and provided by the coop and Virtual Arkansas.  Class size and teaching load waivers will not be required for this digital learning request.  The waiver is being requested through the end of the 2021-2022 school year.  This application has been reviewed by the DESE team.

Description:  The Carlisle School District is requesting to add grades K-2 to their State Board approved Digital Learning application.

Description:  Wynnne School District is requesting to add Edgenuity curriculum for grades 6-12 to their State Board approved Digital Learning Plan.

Description:  The Academies of West Memphis Charter High School has submitted a Digital Learning Program Amendment for grades 10-12. The school will offer synchronous instruction virtually utilizing LMS and CMS platforms with licensed district staff. The charter expires June 2024. This request was approved for three years. 

Description:  Southside School District has submitted a Charter Amendment for a Digital Learning Program for Southside High School Charter and Southside Junior High School. Both schools will offer virtual instruction in an asynchronous & synchronous format through an approved LMS provider. Both charters expire in June 2025. This request was approved for three years. 

Description:  Founders Academy requests approval of its Digital Learning Plan for its Bentonville (K-6) and West Little Rock (K-6) campuses. The plan has been reviewed by the DESE digital review team. Founders will offer both synchronous and asynchronous instruction. The State Board has already approved this district's 7-12 digital learning plan. The charter expires in June 2028. The charter panel approved this request for three years. 

Description:  In response to the rising COVID-19 numbers across the State of Arkansas, the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) is offered districts that did not submit a Digital Learning Plan (DLP) through the expedited process over the summer an additional opportunity to submit a DLP. Since it is not feasible to review the DLPs prior to the start of the 2021-2022 school year, DESE supported districts in requesting limited contingency Act 1240 waivers to allow districts a temporary virtual option while their DLP is being reviewed. These waivers are for physical attendance, clock hours for 9-12, and recess for elementary school for virtual students only.  All contingency virtual learning must follow mandated class sizes, teaching load, and instructional time. These school districst agreed to submit a full DLP to DESE by September 1, 2021. If a plan is not received by the deadline, waivers granted under this request will expire immediately. If a plan is received by the deadline, waivers granted under this request will stay in place until the DLP is reviewed by the State Board. If the State Board approves the DLP, the waivers requested in the DLP will replace waivers granted under this contingency request. If the State Board does not approve the DLP, the Board will decide what happens to the waivers granted under this request.

Description:  Graduate Arkansas requests approval for an additional campus under the same LEA number to operate a second location. The new location will be accessible on the Arkansas Job Corp campus. Graduate Arkansas also requests an enrollment increase from 275 students to 1500 students. The enrollment cap is aimed at increasing space for students from the new campus, increase available seats for virtual participation, and in response to new partnerships with members of the juvenile justice system. The charter expires in June, 2026. 

Description:  DRIVEN Virtual Academy has submitted a charter amendment request to raise the current enrollment cap by 300 students from 500 students to 800. The charter expires June, 2026.