Licensure Exceptions/ALP/ALCP
A public school, agency, or organization may apply for an exception from the requirement under Ark. Code Ann. § 6-15-1004 for a licensed educator if it imposes an undue hardship for a school to timely fill a vacant position with a qualified individual licensed in the required licensure content area and level of licensure.
- Additional Licensure Plans (ALP) and Administrator Licensure Completion Plans (ALCP); or
- Long-Term Substitute Teacher
ALP/ALCP Requests
An educator may be employed out of their licensure area for up to three consecutive school years as long as the State Board of Education approves the ALP or ALCP each year. Approvals for the 2nd and 3rd years will be based on whether the educator has made annual progress toward completion of the ALP or ALCP.
Steps for Filing ALP/ALCP Requests:
- 1. Complete the ALP/ALCP Request Form – which may include multiple requests on one form
- 2. Attach the documentation required on the form for EACH ALP or ALCP being requested
- 3. Complete the Plan of Study Form for EACH ALP or ALCP being requested
- 4. Complete the appropriate additional licensure plan for EACH educator for whom an ALP or ALCP is being requested.
- A list of the available ALP’s can be found at Additional Licensure Plans (ALP).
- ALCP Forms for Building Administrator, Curriculum Program Administrator and District Level may be found at. Administrator Licensure Completion Plan (ALCP) Form.
- 5. File the documents identified above with the Department at the address / email shown on the ALP/ALCP Request Form within 30 days of employment in the out of area assignment.
Yearly ALP/ALCP Requirements
Long-term Substitute Teacher Requests
A long-term substitute teacher is someone who takes the place of the contracted teacher for longer than thirty (30) consecutive days and must hold a minimum of a Bachelor’s Degree or be licensed to teach by the state of Arkansas. A class may not be assigned a long-term substitute teacher for more than two consecutive semesters.
The final decision regarding the approval of long-term substitute rests with the State Board.
Emergency Teaching Permit Request
A school district may apply for an Emergency Teaching Permit for an individual teaching in an area for which he/she is not licensed under the ADE Rules Governing Educator Licensure. The Emergency Teaching Permit should be used for a teaching vacancy, not for a temporary long-term substitute. A person hired under an emergency teaching permit must have relevant work experience in the content area, a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university, and one of the following requirements:
The bachelor’s degree or advanced degree is in the content area in which the educator will teach;
The bachelor’s degree or advanced degree contains a minimum of eighteen (18) college credit hours in the content area in which the educator will teach;
The educator has successfully completed a content area assessment approved by the State Board of Education for the content area in which the educator will teach;
The educator is a National Board Certified Teacher for the content area in which the educator will teach.
The permit will expire at the end of the school year for which it was issued, but may be extended for one additional school year upon the department's approval of the school district's application for the extension. Special Education is not available under this permit.
Who May Apply:
The Emergency Teaching Permit Request form must be completed by a superintendent or a superintendent's designee and not by the individual who will be teaching under the permit.
Identification Number:
The individual's Arkansas Educator Licensure System (AELS) Case ID number is required. The individual teacher will have an AELS CID after completing the background checks. The AELS CID number for an individual may be viewed on the AELS website at: https://aels.ade.arkansas.gov/AELS/Search.aspx.
