Arkansas Code
Subchapter 28 - Teacher Excellence and Support System
§ 6-17-2803. Definitions

As used in this subchapter:
(1) “Artifact or artifacts” means materials that document the teacher's professional practice;
(2)
(A) “Data” means:
(i) Teacher performance data;
(ii) Student performance data; or
(iii) Overall school performance data.

(B) “Data” may include multiple measures of student growth, school quality, or student success;

(3) “Direct observation” means the evaluator observes the teacher leading or facilitating instruction while:
(A) Physically present inside or outside the teacher's classroom; or
(B) Using appropriate technology to observe;

(4)
(A) “Evaluation” means the process under this subchapter used to:
(i) Assess with evidence what a teacher should know and be able to do as measured by the domains and performance ratings of an evaluation framework; and
(ii) Promote teacher growth through professional learning.

(B) “Evaluation” does not include a teacher's performance relating to competitive athletics and competitive extracurricular activities;

(5) “Evaluation framework” means a standardized set of teacher evaluation domains that provide the overall basis for an evaluation;
(6) “Evaluation rubric” means a set of performance components for each teacher evaluation domain in the evaluation framework;
(7) “Evaluator” means a person licensed by the State Board of Education as an administrator who is designated as the person responsible for evaluating teachers and who is an employee of the school district in which the evaluations are performed;
(8)
(A) “Evidence” means:
(i) Direct observations;
(ii) Indirect observations;
(iii) Artifacts; and
(iv) Data.

(B) “Evidence” should:
(i) Facilitate a professional dialogue for the teacher and evaluator; and
(ii) Provide essential evidence of the teacher's classroom practices;

(9) “Formative year” means a year other than a summative evaluation year in which the teacher and the school collaboratively engage in supporting the teacher's growth in effective teaching practices and professionalism, aligned with the teacher's needs identified in the teacher's professional growth plan;
(10) “Indirect observation” means the evaluator observes systems that operate as a result of a teacher's research, planning, and implementation inside or outside of the classroom;
(11) “Intensive support status” means the employment status administered under this subchapter that is assigned to a teacher under § 6-17-2807;
(12) “Novice teacher” means a teacher having less than three (3) school years of public school classroom teaching experience;
(13) “Professional growth plan” means an individual teacher's plan designed to meet the specific growth needs of the teacher identified under the Teacher Excellence and Support System;
(14) “Statewide assessment of student achievement” means an evaluation of student achievement based on Arkansas academic standards administered under the state's comprehensive assessment system;
(15) “Summative evaluation” means an evaluation of a teacher's performance that:
(A) Evaluates all domains of the evaluation framework;
(B) Is supported by evidence of the teacher's professional practice;
(C) Supports improvement in the teacher's teaching practices and student achievement; and
(D) Informs a school district's employment decision concerning the teacher; and

(16)
(A) “Teacher” means a person who is:
(i) Required to hold and holds a teaching license from the state board as a condition of employment; and
(ii) Employed in a public school as a:
(a) Classroom teacher engaged directly in instruction with students in a classroom setting;
(b) Guidance counselor;
(c) Library media specialist;
(d) Special education teacher; or
(e) Teacher in another position identified by the state board.

(B) “Teacher” also includes a licensed or nonlicensed classroom teacher employed in a position under subdivision (16)(A)(ii) of this section at a:
(i) Public charter school under a waiver of teacher licensure requirements granted by the state board in the charter; or
(ii) School district under a waiver of teacher licensure requirements granted by the state board under § 6-15-103 or under the District of Innovation Program under § 6-15-2801 et seq.

(C) “Teacher” does not include a person who is employed full time by a school district or public school solely as a superintendent or administrator.