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Discover the comprehensive Arkansas systemic plan aimed at achieving educational equity through strategic initiatives such as teacher recruitment, facilities improvement, and salary adjustments. Learn about programs like Troops to Teachers and the Teacher Opportunity Program ensuring highly qualified educators. Explore how the state is dedicated to fostering equity in minority and poverty districts, enhancing teacher retention, and inspiring new educators through innovative recruitment efforts.
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ARKANSAS’ EQUITY PLAN Beverly Williams, Assistant Commissioner for Human Resources/Licensure
GOALS FOR EQUITY Three major strands in the Arkansas systemic plan are interwoven to ensure that we meet our goals for equity • Facilities • Beginning Salaries & School Funding • Teacher Recruitment & Retention
HQT Status in Minority Districts Minority students in relation to the years of experience and the Highly Qualified Teacher status of their teachers
HQT Status in Poverty Districts Poor students in relation to the years of experience and the Highly Qualified Teacher status of their teachers
Teacher Recruitment & Retention Retention Data on teachers after first & fifth year
Teach for America (TFA) Teachers in Public Schools in the Arkansas Delta Since the 2006-07 school year, ADE has entered into a yearly Memorandum of Understanding with the Teach for America Corporation to assist the state in placing teachers in the Delta Region. The growth in HQT in the Delta is a significant asset and evidence of efforts to ensure equity to students in the region.
Distribution of High-Priority District Bonus Incentives A high priority district is defined as one with fewer than 1,000 students and in which over 80% of the students qualify for the free or reduced lunch program.
Troops to Teachers Program The teachers hired through Troops to Teachers (TTT) will all be highly qualified as they must pass the content-knowledge Praxis examination for the licensure area before they are admitted into the program.
Teacher Opportunity Program (TOP) The Arkansas Department of Higher Education TOP program is a dual-licensure incentive program that provides loans to teachers who return to college to obtain additional licensure in a subject matter declared a shortage area by the state. ADHE will forgive the loan if the recipient receives the additional license within the first three years of receiving the funds and teaches in and Arkansas public school for three consecutive years immediately after obtaining the additional license.
Recruitment Efforts Colorful recruitment billboard, placed prominently on highways and intersections in the Delta, are inviting individuals into the teaching profession. Three of those billboards follow: