Arkansas Teacher Licensure Guide for Online Master's Students

Who Licenses Teachers in Arkansas, and Which Exams Does It Use?

Arkansas licenses teachers through Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary Education, Office of Educator Effectiveness and Licensure, and the exams it requires are the Praxis tests from ETS.

For the programs themselves, the online master's in education programs at universities in Arkansas are ranked at the in-state price, and the national and specialty lists cover schools in other states.

How Do I Get an Arkansas Teaching License With an Online Master's?

Getting an Arkansas teaching license with an online master's leads to a standard license, and the division's application page separates a standard or provisional license, reciprocity, and a non-traditional license that names TFA, MAT, MED, MTLL and APPEL programs. The division approves Arkansas colleges to offer programs for direct Arkansas licensure, while it recognizes a license from another state through reciprocity.

That points to the license you earn where the program sits as the document Arkansas will evaluate. Rankings of elementary education and special education programs here rest on graduates and tuition, which reveal nothing about which license a school's program leads to.

Which Exams Does Arkansas Require for Teacher Licensure?

Arkansas requires Praxis tests for most teacher licensure, and the division's table matches each licensure area to a test, a code and a passing score: the Elementary Education Fundamentals subtests for K-6, the Principles of Learning and Teaching for many other areas, and content tests elsewhere. The NES Foundations of Reading appears for elementary, special education and early childhood.

The same page says edTPA may substitute for a Praxis content assessment in some cases, so ask a licensure advisor, and it warns that a previous version of a test may still be accepted.

Can I Transfer a Teaching License to Arkansas From Another State?

A teaching license can reach Arkansas from another state, though the division says a license elsewhere does not mean automatic licensure here: it evaluates the type of license, and ancillary requirements may apply. The packet asks for transcripts, a copy of the license held in good standing for the three most recent years of teaching, the content tests for that license, and the Foundations of Reading test for K-6, special education or early childhood.

A provisional license is issued when only content testing or Arkansas History is missing. Active-duty members, veterans and spouses receive an equivalent license under Act 820 of 2019. The 2020 Education Commission of the States comparison already recorded the coursework addition, and its assessment table the testing requirement.

Does NC-SARA Membership Cover Teacher Licensure for Arkansas Online Master's Students?

NC-SARA membership covers a school's right to serve Arkansas online master's students, but teacher licensure lies beyond it, because SARA does not address licensing board approval for teacher education. Arkansas has been a member since June 2015. A participating school must still tell you whether its courses meet the licensure requirements of the state where you are located, and the division alone grants the license.

What Should I Ask an Online Program Before Enrolling From Arkansas?

Ask an online program, before enrolling from Arkansas, for its written answer on Arkansas requirements. 34 CFR 668.43 has a school advertising licensure disclose, state by state, where the program does and does not meet them, with a notice before enrollment if it falls short or was never assessed.

The Arkansas questions: does the program lead to a standard license where it is based, does it prepare you for the Praxis codes on the division's table, does it cover Foundations of Reading for elementary, special education or early childhood, and can you complete the Arkansas History course the division requires in some areas?

Does an Online Master's in Education Count Toward the Arkansas Master Professional Educator Designation?

An online master's in education does not count toward the Arkansas Master Professional Educator designation through its master's pathway when its focus is pedagogy: the division excludes degrees in curriculum and instruction, special education, elementary education, early childhood, educational leadership and counseling, along with MAT degrees and endorsement areas such as reading. The recognized path is a master's in an academic content area with 18 graduate hours in it, plus DESE micro-credentials.

The designation also needs a standard license, three years of licensed teaching and an effective rating. Compare curriculum and instruction and educational leadership programs with that list.

Which License Do Arkansas Principals and School Counselors Need?

Arkansas issues a Guidance and Counseling license for kindergarten through grade 12, tested by the Praxis School Counselor exam, and separate administrator licenses for a building, a curriculum or program role, and a district, as the licensure assessments table shows. Building and curriculum administrators take the School Leaders Licensure Assessment, and district administrators take the School Superintendent Assessment.

Weigh an online master's in school counseling against the counselor license, and ask a leadership program which of these administrator licenses it prepares you for.