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LITTLE ROCK, AR - On Friday, September 15th, 2023, the Arkansas State Board of Education convened to address crucial items on the published agenda. The meeting, accessible through this link, featured various agenda items, with input from representatives and public commentators.
As the policy-making body for Arkansas's education system, the State Board of Education diligently considered and acted upon several essential agenda items during the meeting:
V. Action Agenda
V.1. Pine Bluff School District Review
- The board moved to acknowledge the district met the criteria needed to exit level 5 intensive support and to remove level 5 classification; to allow the district to receive level 4 directed support; to acknowledge the district corrected all issues that caused the classification of fiscal distress and to remove the district from fiscal distress; and to return local control to the limited authority board with the proposed board election plan in place.
V.2. Request for a One (1) Year Standards for Accreditation Waiver for Calico Rock
- The board approved the Calico Rock request for a one (1) year Standards for Accreditation waiver for 1-A.5 Class Size for the 2023-2024 School Year. The request is to exceed the maximum number of students in fourth grade by one (1) student. The district has also requested to exceed the class size maximum by three (3) for third grade for a total of 25. However, the maximum for third grade is twenty-five (25) with an average of twenty-three (23) students.
V.3. Request for a One(1) Year Standards for Accreditation Waiver for Mountainburg School District
- The board approved the Mountainburg School District request a Standards for Accreditation waiver for the 2023-2024 school year for second and third grades. The second grade cohort is over by three (3) students and the third grade is over the maximum number of students by one (1) student for all classes and three (3) students for social studies and science.
VI. Consent Agenda
- The board approved the consent agenda. Items included:
VII.2. 2023-2024 Embedded Courses
VII.3. Report on Waivers to School Districts for Teachers Teaching Out of Area for Longer than Thirty (30) Days, Ark. Code Ann. § 6-17-309
VII.4. Consideration of the Recommendation of the Professional Licensure Standards Board for Case 23-109 Ethan Wells
VII.5. Consideration of the Recommendation of the Professional Licensure Standards Board for Case 23-117 Mackenzie Boatright
VII.6. Consideration of the Recommendation of the Professional Licensure Standards Board for Case 23-131 Heather Hare
VII.7. Consideration of the Charter Authorizing Panel Decision for AMS Schools Arkansas Open Enrollment Charter School Application
VII.8. Consideration of the Charter Authorizing Panel Decision for Bentonville School for Advanced Studies Open Enrollment Charter School Application
VII.9. Consideration of the Charter Panel Decision for Freedom Learning Academy New Open Enrollment Charter School Application
VIII. Reports
VIII.2. ATOY Report
- Arkansas Teacher of the Year, Capri Salaam, provided an update.
VIII.3. Commissioner's Report
- Secretary Jacob Oliva provided an update on the state of education in Arkansas and LEARNS.
As part of its regular schedule, the State Board convenes on the second Thursday and Friday of each month to address issues impacting the educational landscape. Each meeting aims to consider, vote on, or generate orders related to agenda items.
For more information and to access the agenda and documents for this meeting, please click here.
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