Alternative Education

The Office of Alternative Education is part of the Division of Learning Services. The Division shall identify information concerning best practices for educating students in Alternative Learning Environments and disseminate that information to teachers and administrators working in Alternative Learning Environments (Ark. Code Ann. § 6-48-104).

Scholarship Opportunities

The Division of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) encourages students to explore all opportunities available to them after graduation.  Cost is always a factor when deciding if college is the next step for students. The Arkansas Division of Higher Education (ADHE) has made applying for scholarships and grants easier with SAM (Scholarship Application Management System), Arkansas’ financial aid system.  
 
The Arkansas Future Grant (ArFuture) and the Workforce Challenge scholarships are opportunities to consider. They are for students with a high school diploma or a High School Equivalency (GED previously), have no age limit, and include a minimal 30-day deadline requirement for career certificate programs.  For more details, visit https://sams.adhe.edu/.

Teacher Qualifications

Arkansas Qualified Teachers (AQT) - The State Board of Education has approved an additional option for Alternative Education teachers to demonstrate content knowledge, as required by the AQT rules. This option can be seen at: CM LIC-17-001.

The Office of Alternative Education Mission

The Office of Alternative Education's Mission team works with schools to ensure that students who require a non-traditional educational environment have opportunities to learn at high levels. It is the mission of the Alternative Education team to provide leadership, support, and service to schools, districts, and communities so every student graduates prepared for college, career, and community engagement.

Annual Report

State law (Ark. Code Ann. § 6-48-104) requires that the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education submit a report annually to the state legislature. The data gathered from the annual report and program descriptions assist in developing information provided in that report. The Arkansas Public School Computer Network and the ADE Data Center also provide data. 

DocumentDescription

AE Approved Three Year Rotation Cycle Form (PDF)

Districts are required to submit a new program description every three years. This document relets when each district is to renew. (Rules governing ALE)

ALE Program Description Form Rubric (DOCX)

This document assists districts with completion of the required Program Description Submission Form. 
eSchool ALE Coding (PDF)This document assists with accurately coding students as receiving AltEd services in eSchool. 
eSchool Cycle 7 AE Report (PDF)This document assists data entry personnel in accurately entering data for Cycle 7 Comprehensive ALE Report. 
ALE Annual Contact Information Form LinkTo improve communication, update this contact list when there are changes to AltEd designated personnel.
Example-Teacher Contact Information Form (XLSX) 


Standards and Quality Indicators

The Office of Alternative Education is dedicated to improving the quality of education for Arkansas' hardest to reach students. The Quality Program Indicators Self-Assessment Tool can be used to inform improvement efforts for Alternative Education programs. This tool is located under Related Files on this webpage.

Alternative Education Sample Forms

The following forms may be used to meet the documentation requirements in the rules governing alternative education.  Districts are free to develop district-specific forms, so long as all required information is documented.

Alternative Education Leadership Day

The DESE Office of Alternative Education hosted the Alternative Education Leadership Day at the Capitol on March 9, 2020, at the Second Floor Rotunda of the Arkansas State Capitol. This event is a celebration and recognition of students and educators in Alternative Education.
 
To view videos from May 19, 2016, Alternative Education Leadership Day, please visit AEL Day 2016.

 

Alternative Education in Arkansas Podcast

Join the DESE Office of Alternative Education staff, as well as experts in related areas, for discussions about alternative education topics of interest.

Link:  https://www.spreaker.com/show/alternative-education-in-arkansas 

 

For more information, please contact:

Jared Hogue, Director of Alternative Education
Arkansas Department of Education
Division of Learning Services
Four Capitol Mall, 301-1B
Little Rock, AR  72201
Phone: 501-682-5303
 
C.W. Gardenhire, Ed.D., Program Advisor
Arkansas Department of Education
Division of Learning Services
ASU-Beebe
England Center, Room 106
P.O. Box 1000
Beebe, AR 72012
Phone: 501-580-5660

Email: CW.Gardenhire@ade.arkansas.gov

Lisa Johnson, Program Advisor
Arkansas Department of Education
Division of Learning Services
Four Capitol Mall 301-B
Little Rock, AR  72201
Phone:  501-580-2775
Email: Lisa.Johnson@ade.arkansas.gov

Darrell Farmer, Program Advisor
Arkansas Department of Education
Division of Learning Services
Four Capitol Mall, 301.B
Little Rock, AR  72201
Phone: 501-682-6094
Email: Darrell.Farmer@ade.arkansas.gov



 
 
 

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