005.16.07 Ark. Code R. 006

Current through Register Vol. 49, No. 9, September, 2024

Rule 005.16.07-006 - ADE 278: Rules Governing Incentives for Teacher Recruitment and Retention in High Priority Public School Districts

Rules Governing Incentives for Teacher Recruitment and Retention in High Priority Districts with an Average Daily Membership of 1,000 or Fewer

1.00 Regulatory Authority

1.01 These rules shall be known as the Arkansas Department of Education Rules Governing Incentives for Teacher Recruitment and Retention in High Priority Districts.

1.02 These rules are enacted pursuant to the Arkansas State Board of Education's authority under Ark. Code Ann. §§ 6-11-105, 6-17-811, 25-15-201 et seq. and Act 1044 of 2007.

2.00 Purpose

The purpose of this rule is to establish the procedures to provide incentives for teacher recruitment and retention in high priority districts.

3.00 Definitions

Unless otherwise specifically stated herein, the term:

3.01 Department - Means the Arkansas Department of Education.

3.02 High Priority District - Means a public school district in which eighty percent (80%) or more of public school students are eligible for the free or reduced-price lunch program under the National School Lunch Act based on the October 1 student count of the previous year submitted to the Department of Education and had a three-quarter average daily membership in the previous year of one thousand (1,000) or fewer students.

3.03 New Teacher Bonus - Means an incentive bonus provided under Sections 4.01.1 through 4.01.3 of these rules to a teacher that is within the first three (3) years of employment with a single high priority district.

3.04 Previous year - Means the school year immediately preceding the current school year.

3.05 Retention Bonus - Means an incentive bonus of two-thousand dollars ($2,000) to be paid to a teacher who has received a new teacher bonus and enters his or her fourth or subsequent year of service in the same or other high- priority school district or for a teacher employed in a high-priority district who does not meet the requirements of Sections 4.01.1 through 4.01.3 of these rules.

3.06 Teacher - Means a licensed classroom teacher who spends seventy percent (70%) of his or her time working directly with students in a classroom setting teaching all grade-level or subject-matter appropriate classes, including guidance counselors and librarians.

4.00 Incentives

4.01 Beginning in the 2007-2008 school year, and each school year thereafter, a teacher licensed by the State Board of Education who enters into a teaching contract and who completes the entire current school year teaching in a high-priority district shall, at the end of the school year and upon completion of his or her contracted teaching obligations, be entitled to receive, in addition to all other contracted salary and benefits:

4.01.1 A newly hired teacher who has not previously taught in a high-priority district, a one (1) time signing bonus of four thousand dollars ($4,000) for the first year of service in the district to be paid upon completion of the full year of teaching.

4.01.2 A newly hired teacher who meets the requirements of Section 4.01.1 of these rules, who continues to teach in the same high-priority district and who completes the second full year of contracted teaching obligations, a new teacher bonus in the amount of three thousand dollars ($3,000).

4.01.3 A teacher who meets the requirements of Sections 4.01.1 and 4.01.2 of these rules, who continues to teach in the same high- priority district and who completes the third full year of contracted teaching obligations, a new teacher bonus in the amount of three thousand dollars ($3,000).

4.01.4 A teacher who meets the requirements of Sections 4.01.1 through 4.01.3 of these rules, who enters the fourth or subsequent year of service with the same high-priority district or begins employment with a high-priority district other than the high-priority district where he or she was employed when he or she received any bonuses pursuant to Sections 4.01.1 through 4.01.3 above shall receive a retention bonus in the amount of two thousand dollars ($2,000) for the fourth and each subsequent complete year of service in the high-priority district to be paid at the end of the school year after completing all contractual obligations

4.01.5 A teacher employed in a high priority district who does not meet the requirements of Sections 4.01.1 through 4.01.3 of these rules, shall receive a retention bonus in the amount of two thousand dollars ($2,000) for each complete year of service in the high-priority district to be paid at the end of the school year after completing all contractual obligations.

4.02 The Superintendent of the high-priority district where the teacher is employed shall certify in writing to the Department that the teacher has completed all contractual obligations for the school year. The Superintendent shall submit such certification information for applicable teachers to the Department no more than twenty-one (21) calendar days after the end of the high-priority district's school year.

4.03 No teacher is entitled to any incentives outlined in Section 4.01 above unless the teacher has fulfilled all contractual obligations for the current school year.

4.04 Any bonus pay awarded to an eligible, full time equivalent teacher who does not work the entire school year shall be pro-rated based on the portion of the school year that the eligible teacher was employed by the high- priority district.

5.00Documentation

5.01 Beginning in 2007-2008, the Department shall issue by September 1 of each year a list of the high priority districts in which eighty percent (80%) or more of the public school students are eligible for the free or reduced-price lunch program under the National School Lunch Act and that had a three-quarter average daily membership in the previous year of one thousand (1,000) or fewer students.

5.02 Beginning in 2007-2008, the Free and Reduced Price Meal calculation shall be based on the list of eligible students in a district as verified by the Child Nutrition Unit of the Department based on the October 1 list of eligible for grades K-12 for the previous school year.

5.03 The determination of eligibility for high priority district designation in annexed or consolidated districts is made based on the combination of enrollment, average daily membership and free and reduced price meal calculations for the two or more districts that were annexed or consolidated.

5.04 Beginning in 2007-2008, high priority districts shall notify the Department on forms provided by the Department, and identify all eligible teachers employed at the high priority district for the current school year. The district shall list teachers who were not employed by the high priority district during the previous school year and teachers employed the previous school year who continue to be employed for the current school year.

5.05 Upon receipt of the form from each high priority district and the written certification from the Superintendent required by Section 4.02 of these rules, the Department shall distribute the funds to the districts who will distribute the appropriate bonuses to the teachers employed by the high priority districts.

5.06 Districts will be responsible for the payment of all matching benefit payments.

6.00 Monitoring of Program

6.01 It shall be the responsibility of each high- priority district to monitor the incentive bonus distribution in their district and provide data to the Arkansas Department of Education.

6.02 The Arkansas Department of Education's Teacher Recruitment and Retention Unit will collect the data and monitor the total program for the state.

005.16.07 Ark. Code R. 006

11/6/2007