Ark. Code § 6-15-202 Accreditation - Development of Rules, Criteria, and Standards

• Library: Arkansas Statutes
• Edition: 2023
• Currency: Current with legislation from the 2023 Regular and First Extraordinary Sessions.
• Year: 2023
• Citation: Ark. Code § 6-15-202

(a)

(1) The State Board of Education is authorized and directed to develop comprehensive rules, criteria, and standards to be used by the state board and the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education in the accreditation of school programs in elementary and secondary public schools in this state.

(2) In its rules, criteria, and standards promulgated under this subchapter, the state board shall include a provision regarding the attainment of unitary status for school districts that have not been released from court supervision over desegregation obligations.

(b)

(1) All public schools and school districts shall meet the Standards for Accreditation of Arkansas Public Schools and School Districts that shall be adopted by the state board.

(2)

(A) Except as provided under subdivisions (b)(2)(B)-(E) of this section, upon a showing of just cause, the state board may grant a waiver of any standard for accreditation for a time period of no longer than one (1) school year, except that no curriculum, student performance, school performance, or any standard required by law may be waived for any time period.

(B) The state board may grant a waiver of a standard for accreditation for a time period of longer than one (1) school year to a school district for the purpose of combining or embedding the curriculum frameworks from two (2) separate courses into one (1) combined or embedded course if:

(i) The school district timely makes an application for approval of the combined or embedded course to the division under the rules adopted by the state board;

(ii) The school district certifies in writing to the state board that all of the curriculum frameworks for the two (2) separate courses will be fully taught in the proposed combined or embedded course;

(iii) The division verifies in writing to the state board that all of the curriculum frameworks for the two (2) separate courses are included in the proposed combined or embedded course; and

(iv) The proposed combined or embedded course meets all requirements for course approval under the rules adopted by the state board.

(C) The state board shall grant a waiver of a standard only for accreditation for proposed combined or embedded courses in grades five through twelve (5-12).

(D) If the state board subsequently revises the curriculum frameworks for either of the separate courses that are combined or embedded into a single course, a school district must submit a new waiver request for a combined or embedded course as set forth in subdivisions (b)(2)(B) and (C) of this section.