Arkansas Code
Subchapter 7 - Professional Development
§ 6-17-709. Professional development schedule

(a) Beginning with the 2013-2014 school year, a school district or an open-enrollment public charter school shall make available to the appropriate licensed personnel the following professional development:
(1) In the 2013-2014 school year and every fourth school year thereafter, the professional development for mandated reporters and licensed elementary and secondary public school personnel required under § 6-61-133;
(2) In the 2014-2015 school year and every fourth school year thereafter, the family and community engagement professional development under § 6-15-1703;
(3) In the 2015-2016 school year and every fourth school year thereafter, the teen suicide awareness and prevention professional development required under § 6-17-708; and
(4) In the 2016-2017 school year and every fourth school year thereafter, the Arkansas history professional development required under § 6-17-703.

(b)
(1) Two (2) hours of the professional development, or professional learning credit as determined by the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education, required by subsection (a) of this section shall be counted in one (1) school year toward the professional development required for licensed educators under the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education Rules Governing Professional Development.
(2) If additional hours or professional learning credits are obtained by a licensed educator, the school district may count those hours or credits as part of the professional development required for licensed educators under the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education Rules Governing Professional Development.

(c) Annually, the State Board of Education may require up to six (6) hours of integrated professional development, or professional learning credits determined by the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education, for licensed educators in educational technology.
(d) The Division of Elementary and Secondary Education shall establish the curriculum under this section in collaboration with educational agencies and associations, including without limitation the:
(1) Division of Higher Education;
(2) Arkansas Association of Educational Administrators;
(3) Arkansas Education Association;
(4) Arkansas School Boards Association;
(5) Arkansas Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development;
(6) Arkansas State Teachers Association; and
(7) Arkansas Rural Ed Association.

(e)
(1) The professional development under this subsection shall not be provided by a school district but shall be provided by:
(A) The Division of Elementary and Secondary Education;
(B) An institution of higher education; or
(C) Providers approved by the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education.

(2)
(A) Before a person receives a building level administrator's license, the person shall successfully complete the teacher evaluation professional development program.
(B) A person who receives an initial building level administrator's license shall complete the certification assessment for the teacher evaluation professional development program before or after receiving the initial building level administrator's license.

(3)
(A) The Division of Elementary and Secondary Education shall not issue an initial teaching license until the applicant verifies that he or she has obtained the required professional development concerning:
(i) Mandated reporters under § 6-61-133;
(ii) Family and community engagement under § 6-15-1703;
(iii) Teen suicide awareness and prevention under § 6-17-708;
(iv) Arkansas history under § 6-17-703; and
(v) Human trafficking under § 6-17-710.

(B) For a teaching license issued under the state's reciprocity provisions to an out-of-state teacher, the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education shall issue a provisional license until the licensee obtains the professional development identified in subdivision (e)(3)(A) of this section.