Who is eligible?

Merit pay is awarded to teachers who meet all four of the following qualifications.

1. Have an Arkansas Teaching License & 3 years of teaching experience.

• The teacher should hold a standard or provisional Arkansas Teaching License.
• Educators with a license currently under probation, suspension, or revocation due to a Code of Ethics sanction are not eligible.

2. Meet the definition of "teacher" as outlined in the LEARNS Act for Merit Teacher Incentive Fund.

• "Teacher" is defined as a classroom teacher who spends at least 70% of their contracted time working directly with students in a classroom setting.
• School counselors and library media specialists also are considered teachers under the LEARNS Act.

3. Demonstrate a positive impact on student growth.

• The teacher should have student growth data based on state summative assessments. The three-year average of this data should show students are growing, AND
• the teacher should have an EFFECTIVE or higher annual rating in the Educator Effectiveness System.

   -OR-

• If the teacher does not have three years of student growth data, the teacher must have an annual rating of HIGHLY EFFECTIVE in the Educator Effectiveness System in addition to supporting artifacts.

4. Fall into at least one merit pay category.

• The teacher should qualify for at least one of the following categories:
  • demonstrate outstanding growth in student performance,
  • teach in a critical shortage area, or
  • serve as a mentor to aspiring teachers participating in a DESE-approved yearlong residency.

2025 Merit Pay Incentive Categories & Awards

1. Demonstrating outstanding student growth:
(based on a teacher's three-year average student growth score)

Teachers with the highest growth scores based on statewide summative assessments will be recognized in this category. These teachers have a three-year average growth score indicating they consistently increased students' academic performance.

Note: Only one student growth bonus is awarded per teacher based on the highest eligible level.

2. Teaching in a critical shortage area:

Each year, DESE analyzes data to determine geographic, subject, and designation areas in need of certified teachers. Teachers able to fill these critical shortage areas -- and who meet the minimum requirements -- are eligible for merit pay.

3. Mentoring future teachers:

By the 2026-2027 school year, all approved Educator Preparation Programs must include a year-long supervised residency alongside an experienced mentor teacher. As an incentive for sharing their expertise, these experienced mentor teachers -- if they meet the basic minimum requirements -- are eligible for merit pay. Districts interested in partnering with an educator preparation program to offer year-long residencies can find out more about approved programs here.

For more information, please contact: