Arkansas Department of Education

Add Licensure Area to License

 

Teachers and administrators may add additional areas of licensure by completing requirements as defined on the new additional licensure plans. These additional licensure plans (ALP) are available through the Office of Educator Licensure or they may be downloaded from this website. 

Teachers and administrators may add an additional area of licensure to the standard Arkansas teaching license. The Additional Licensure Plan will need to be filed with your school district and with the Office of Educator Licensure only if you are teaching out of area. If you are not teaching out of area, the ALP will be used only as a guide for how to add additional areas of licensure. 

Individuals have three (3) years from the beginning of the out of area assignment to complete all coursework and assessment requirements for the new additional area/endorsement.

Two Ways to Add Areas of Licensure or Endorsements through ALP 

(1) Testing Out

• Educators may test out of additional areas of licensure/endorsements that are at the level of their initial licensure area or one level above or below the level of their initial licensure area.
• Educators cannot test out of Special Education, Birth – Kindergarten, Exception Area Endorsements, Adult Education, areas of Educational Leadership and Supervision or Ancillary Student Services areas.
• The Office of Educator Licensure will add the new area upon receipt of a completed and signed licensure application form requesting the new area with a copy of the Praxis II Specialty Area score report reflecting a passing score for the area to be added.
• When adding Elementary K-6 or any Middle School 4-8 licensure area by testing out, the educator will also document by way of official college transcript, the completion of the required three (3) hours of coursework in Arkansas History and six (6) hours of language arts courses.  Educators adding Social Studies 7-12 by testing out shall also document by way of official college transcript, the successful completion of three (3) hours of Arkansas History.

(2) Program of Study and Required Assessment

• Whenever an area of licensure/endorsement cannot be added by testing out, the educator shall document on an official college transcript, the successful completion of all coursework that is required for adding the new area of licensure.  All coursework required for adding an additional area of licensure shall be identified by the Arkansas Department of Education and reflected on the Additional Licensure Plan.  A Praxis II score report reflecting a passing score for the subject area being added shall also be provided by the educator.  A 2.50 G.P.A. shall be required for all coursework meeting licensure requirements when adding an additional licensure area.
• When adding Elementary K-6 or any Middle School 4-8 licensure area, the educator shall document on an official transcript the successful completion of six (6) hours of language arts courses and a three (3) hour Arkansas History course.  When adding Social Studies 7-12, the educator shall document by an official transcript, the successful completion of a three (3) hour Arkansas History course.

 

Teachers and administrators interested in adding an additional area of licensure are encouraged to refer to the Rules Governing Educator Licensure that pertain to adding areas of licensure as adopted by the State Board of Education.  The definition section of the rules and regulations for additional areas will be helpful. Pay particular attention to those additional areas of licensure defined as exception areas. These areas cannot be added by testing out. They can be added only by completing the program of study and the required Praxis assessment.

CLICK HERE FOR TESTING OUT CHART

In addition, individuals holding an educator license in the Ancillary Student Services areas of School Psychology Specialist, Speech Pathology, and in Adult Education, may not add areas of licensure without completing a program of study to include an internship/student teaching for an area of general education, the required Praxis II specialty area exam(s) and the “Principles of Learning and Teaching” at the appropriate level.

 

For more information, please contact: