Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.
Act 646 of the Regular Session
1 State of Arkansas
2 93rd General Assembly A Bill
3 Regular Session, 2021 SENATE BILL 524
4
5 By: Senator J. Sturch
6 By: Representative Vaught
7
8 For An Act To Be Entitled
9 AN ACT TO AMEND PROVISIONS OF THE ARKANSAS CODE
10 CONCERNING MINORITY TEACHER AND MINORITY
11 ADMINISTRATOR RECRUITMENT PLANS; TO AMEND PROVISIONS
12 OF THE ARKANSAS CODE CONCERNING THE EQUITY ASSISTANCE
13 CENTER; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.
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15
16 Subtitle
17 TO AMEND TO AMEND PROVISIONS OF THE
18 ARKANSAS CODE CONCERNING MINORITY TEACHER
19 AND MINORITY ADMINISTRATOR RECRUITMENT
20 PLANS; AND TO AMEND PROVISIONS OF THE
21 ARKANSAS CODE CONCERNING THE EQUITY
22 ASSISTANCE CENTER.
23
24
25 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS:
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27 SECTION 1. Arkansas Code 6-17-1901 is amended to read as follows:
28 6-17-1901. Minority teacher Teacher and administrator recruitment and
29 retention plan.
30 (a) Beginning with the 1992-1993 school year, each school district
31 with more than five percent (5%) African-American or other minority students
32 By August 1, 2022, each public school district and open-enrollment public
33 charter school in the state shall prepare a minority three-year teacher and
34 administrator recruitment and retention plan.
35 (b) The plan shall place emphasis on recruitment of African-Americans
36 and other members of minorities for teacher and administrator positions and
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1 on encouraging minority students to pursue a career in education set forth
2 goals for:
3 (1) The recruitment and retention of teachers and administrators
4 of minority races and ethnicities who increase diversity among the district
5 staff and, at a minimum, reflect the racial and ethnic diversity of the
6 district's students; and
7 (2) Increasing the number of students who pursue careers in
8 education with an emphasis on students of minority races and ethnicities.
9 (c) Recruitment plans shall cover the next ten-year period and set
10 forth the goal of developing equity in employee composition that reflects
11 racial and ethnic diversity A school district shall review annually the:
12 (1) Recruitment and retention plan; and
13 (2) Progress of the school district in meeting the goals
14 established pursuant to subsection (b) of this section.
15 (d) The plan shall be:
16 (1) a part of the equity assistance plan filed Updated annually
17 with the Equity Assistance Center and shall be updated annually for an
18 additional ten (10) years; and
19 (2) Posted on the school district's or open-enrollment public
20 charter school's website no later than August 1 of each year.
21
22 SECTION 2. Arkansas Code 6-17-1902 is amended to read as follows:
23 6-17-1902. Equity Assistance Center Coordination and contents of
24 plan.
25 (a) The Equity Assistance Center shall provide technical assistance,
26 guidance, and support to the public school districts and public open-
27 enrollment charter schools in developing recruitment and retention plans and
28 setting and meeting annual goals.
29 (b)(1) Each public school district and open-enrollment public charter
30 school shall designate an employee to coordinate the implementation and
31 review of the public school district's and open-enrollment public charter
32 school's recruitment and retention plan.
33 (2) The designated equity assistance coordinator in each public
34 school district and open-enrollment public charter school may serve as the
35 coordinator of the public school district's and open-enrollment public
36 charter school's recruitment and retention plan.
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1 (c)(1) Each school district shall designate an employee to coordinate
2 implementation of its recruitment plan.
3 (2) Each school district shall establish a minority teacher and
4 administrator goal at least equal to the percentage of minority students of
5 the school districts.
6 (d)(c) The minority teacher and administrator recruitment and
7 retention plan shall include, but not be limited to, the following
8 information:
9 (1) The annual goals of the school district for the recruitment
10 of minority teachers and administrators for the next school year and for the
11 next ten (10) school years public school district or open-enrollment public
12 charter school established pursuant to 6-17-1901(b);
13 (2) The actions and steps the school district public school
14 district or open-enrollment public charter school has taken and will take to
15 meet its each of the public school district's and open-enrollment public
16 charter school's goals;
17 (3) The progress of the school district in recruiting minority
18 teachers and administrators public school district or open-enrollment public
19 charter school in meeting each of the public school district's and open-
20 enrollment public charter school's goals;
21 (4) The measures evaluative methods the school district public
22 school district or open-enrollment public charter school will use to meet its
23 employment goals measure progress towards meeting the public school
24 district's or open-enrollment public charter school's goals;
25 (5) If the school district public school district or open-
26 enrollment public charter school did not meet the school district's public
27 school district's or open-enrollment public charter school's goals for the
28 previous reporting period, the school district public school district or
29 open-enrollment public charter school shall state the reasons for not meeting
30 the goals and the steps the public school district or open-enrollment public
31 charter school will take to overcome the reasons for not meeting the goals;
32 (6) The steps the school district public school district or
33 open-enrollment public charter school will take to encourage minority
34 students to pursue a career in education including steps specific to students
35 of minority races and ethnicities;
36 (7) The number and percentage of members of racial minorities
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1 who were employed as teachers or administrators in each of the last five (5)
2 years Public school district or open-enrollment public charter school teacher
3 and administrator recruitment and retention data to show the:
4 (A) Racial and ethnic composition of teachers and
5 administrators employed by the public school district or open-enrollment
6 public charter school for each of the previous three (3) years; and
7 (B) Effectiveness of the plan; and
8 (8) The racial and ethnic composition of the student body and
9 the racial and ethnic composition of the residents of the school district
10 public school district or open-enrollment public charter school.
11 (d) The State Board of Education may promulgate rules necessary for
12 implementation of this subchapter.
13
14 SECTION 3. Arkansas Code Title 6, Chapter 17, Subchapter 19, is
15 amended to add an additional section to read as follows:
16 6-17-1903. Department of Education Minority Teacher and
17 Administrator Preparation and Recruitment Strategic Plan.
18 (a)(1) The Department of Education shall set goals for increasing the
19 number of teachers and administrators of minority races and ethnicities in
20 this state.
21 (2)(A) The Division of Higher Education shall collaborate with
22 the State Board of Education, local universities, colleges, public school
23 districts, and open-enrollment public charter schools to develop a strategic
24 plan for increasing the number of teachers and administrators of minority
25 races and ethnicities in this state.
26 (B) The Minority Teacher and Administrator Preparation and
27 Recruitment Strategic Plan shall include without limitation recommendations
28 to institutions with educator preparation programs on ways to:
29 (i) Identify methods for increasing the percentage
30 of teachers and administrators of minority races and ethnicities in
31 proportion to the number of students of minority races and ethnicities in
32 this state; and
33 (ii) Establish programs to identify and recruit
34 individuals of minority races and ethnicities who have already earned college
35 degrees in other job fields to become teachers and administrators.
36 (b) The division shall:
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1 (1) Promote educator preparation programs that increase the
2 percentage of individuals of minority races and ethnicities who enter and
3 successfully complete a four-year educator preparatory program and provide
4 support to students of minority races and ethnicities who meet the
5 requirements for entering educator preparation programs; and
6 (2) Submit a report no later than July 1, 2022, and every two
7 (2) years following to the House Committee on Education and the Senate
8 Committee on Education.
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11 APPROVED: 4/12/21
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