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Educator Licensure - Adding an Area of Licensure to an Existing Arkansas License
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Teachers and administrators may add additional areas of licensure by completing requirements as defined on the new additional licensure plans. These additional licensure plans are available through the Office of Professional Licensure or they may be downloaded from this web site.

Teachers and administrators may add an additional area of licensure to the three-year initial teaching license or the standard Arkansas teaching license. The Additional Licensure Plan will need to be filed with your school district and with the Office of Professional 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. There are two (2) ways to add additional areas of licensure/endorsements through the Additional Licensure Plan:

  1. Testing Out - If the additional area/endorsement is not one of the Exception Areas (Special Education, Added Endorsements, Educational Leadership & supervision, Non-Instructional Student Services and Professional and Technical) and is at the level of licensure currently held and has a subject specific assessment, the individual may add the additional area by successfully completing the required assessment. Professional Licensure will add the new area of licensure once it has received a completed application for teacher licensure form with a copy of the Praxis score report reflecting a passing score.
  2. Program of Study and Required Assessment - If the additional area of licensure/endorsement is an exception area or does not have a subject specific assessment or is not at the level of current licensure, the individual must complete a program of study as defined by an Arkansas college or university and the required Praxis assessment. Professional Licensure will add the new area of licensure/endorsement once it has received a completed application for teacher licensure form that has been signed by the Licensure Officer of an Arkansas college or university indicating completion of the program of study. A copy of the Praxis score report reflecting a passing score should also accompany the application and an official transcript.

Teachers and administrators interested in adding an additional area of licensure are encouraged to refer to the rules and regulations for adding additional areas of licensure as adopted by the State Board of Education. These may be found as attachments. 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.

Individuals adding the new Elementary P-4, any middle school area or secondary social studies to their license must complete a three-hour course in Arkansas History. This course must be taken and passed prior to adding the additional area.

Individuals needing a program of study for adding an additional area of licensure/endorsement must now contact an Arkansas college or university to determine what the coursework will be for adding the area. The first point of contact should be the Licensure Officer with the Education Department of the college or university.

Individuals completing a program of study through an Arkansas college or university should always approve ahead of time, any coursework they may wish to take through another institution whether in state or out-of-state. Coursework or degrees completed out-of-state will have to be approved by an Arkansas college or university for use as part of an approved program of study for additional licensure areas/endorsements.

Teaching Areas

Adding Areas and Levels of Licensure By Testing Out
Teaching Areas Only
P-4
P-8
P-12
4-8
7-12
PS
P-4 Early Childhood
 
 
 
 
    
P-8
X
X
 
X
    
P-4 Early Childhood Special Education
X
 
 
 
    
Elementary K-6 (old licensure area)
X
X
 
X
    
K-12** (old licensure areas)
X
X
 
X
X
 
Elementary 1-6 (old licensure area)
X
X
 
X
 
 
4-8      
X
    
4-12      
X
X
  
5-8 Middle School (old licensure area)      
X
    
7-12        
X
  
PS            

Teachers with an area of licensure at the levels listed under “Teaching Areas Only,” may test out of other standard areas of licensure at the levels marked with the (X).

Individuals wishing to add areas and levels of licensure that cannot be added by testing out must complete an approved program of study through an Arkansas college or university and the required Praxis II assessment.

Adult Ed, Endorsements (such as Library Media, Reading, Counseling, Gifted and Talented, etc.), Educational Leadership and Non-Instructional Student Services, as listed on the Levels and Areas of Licensure chart, may not be used as a platform for testing out of additional areas. In addition, these areas may not be added to an existing license without completion of a program of study and the required Praxis II specialty area exam.

In addition, individuals holding an educator license in the Non-Instructional Student Services areas of School Psychology Specialist and 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.

**K-12 areas were Physical Education, Art, Music, and all areas of Special Education.

Additional Licensure Plans Available