Arkansas Teacher Requirements

Requirements For Attaining an Arkansas Teacher Certificate

• Bachelor’s degree or the completion of an alternate route to licensure
• Completion of an educator preparation program
• Attending a three-hour course in Arkansas history; may not be necessary for all applicants
• Completing additional training activities
• Completion of the required exams
• Criminal background and history check
• Necessary application fees

Additional Training Activities During the Induction Period for an Arkansas Teacher

• Field placement or internship
• Teaching under the guidance of a trained mentor; this occurs after you obtain your initial certificate

Exams Necessary For Acquiring Your Teaching Certificate

• Firstly, PRAXIS Core Academic Skills tests
• Secondly, PRAXIS pedagogical exam based on the age range you will teach
• Thirdly, PRAXIS II test surrounding your specific teaching area; you might need to complete this twice
• Testing on the Arkansas Standards for Beginning Teachers
• PRAXIS III test after you spend time with induction period training events

Requirements For Renewing Your Certificate

• Sixty professional development hours over five years
• Background checks, including reviews against the Arkansas State Police and Child Maltreatment Central Registry

Earning Your Arkansas Teacher Certificate

The first part of becoming a certified teacher in Arkansas entails attaining a bachelor’s degree or higher. You can attain a degree from a program that holds the approval of the Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary Education.

You must also complete an educator preparation program at a college or university within Arkansas. These include one of the programs open for secondary education, special education, or broad range work. These studies are available through various schools around the state, including many in the University of Arkansas system.

Teachers interested in earning early childhood education certification or who wish to teach middle or secondary school social studies must complete a three-credit-hour course on Arkansas history. The course is for all applicants in Alabama, including those who have been living in Alabama for much of their lives.

About Alternate Measures For Attaining Certifications

You may also complete an alternate route to licensure. Those who do not have a bachelor’s degree or higher in education may still attain a certificate to teach in Arkansas by completing a multi-year alternate measure. You can participate in a program dedicated to helping educate the less fortunate.

For example, the Teach For America program will entail a five-week summer institute at Delta State University in Cleveland, Mississippi, and then a two-year commitment to educating students in a high-poverty or high-minority area. The Arkansas Teacher Corps program is another example that entails a seven-week summer training program followed by a three-year commitment to teach in one of four areas of the state.

Such alternate measures are available for people who want to become certified without attending college. They also work for people who have bachelor’s degrees or better in other fields and want to pivot their working lives to the education sector.

Examinations For Completing Your Certification

Educators in Arkansas must complete the three Core Academic Skills for Educators tests provided by PRAXIS. These three exams are for reading, writing, and mathematics.

Pedagogical assessments are also necessary for educators. These include reviews surrounding the principles of learning and teaching, including how you may interact with children and support their educational needs. You would complete a specific pedagogical test on whatever age range you will teach.

The PRAXIS II test is also a necessity for prospective teachers. You would complete a test surrounding the grade levels you will teach and any specific subjects you would complete. Secondary school teachers can perform different tests for specific study areas like life and earth science, English, physical education, and social studies. There are also separate tests for people who will teach English as a Second Language, German, French, Spanish, and Latin.

You might need to complete the PRAXIS II test once again during your second semester of teaching. The test will review how well you can perform in the classroom.

The Arkansas Standards for Beginning Teachers test is also a necessity. The test includes monitoring how well you can manage different standards for educating students.

Experience During the Induction Period

You will enter the induction period of your work as a teacher in Arkansas while you complete your application and plan for the necessary exams. The period means that you are not officially considered to be a teacher, but you are in a provisional state. You are allowed to teach children, but you will be subject to regular reviews and checks to ensure you are educating your students and following the necessary rules.

You will start by completing a field placement internship that may last up to a school year. The internship entails working in a classroom alongside a mentor teacher.

You will then work with a trained mentor after you receive your initial license. You will complete. The work period will last from one to three years and will entail a review of your performance in teaching students.

You must complete the PRAXIS III test when you are ready. The test reviews how well you can teach students and establish lesson plans and manage a class environment. You will receive a standard license for teaching in Arkansas when you complete the mentorship program and pass the PRAXIS III exam.

Renewing a License

Your license to teach in Arkansas will last for five years following your renewal with the ADE. You must complete sixty professional development hours during those five years to renew your license.

The Arkansas Department of Education allows teachers to complete those sixty professional development hours in many forms. You can complete college courses from accredited schools, attend educator conferences, and completing independent study programs. You could also mentor another new teacher who wants to attain a standard license.

Your renewal also requires a review of your background by the Arkansas State Police. You must undergo a check from the Child Maltreatment Central Registry to confirm you can safely work alongside children. Your school district will receive your renewed license, and that group will then deliver it to you.