6 CAR Part 190 — Rules Governing Eligibility and Financial Incentives for the Arkansas Leadership Academy Master School Principal Program

Chapter I

Subchapter G

Subpart 1

6 CAR § 190-101 Purpose {#sec-6-car-190-101 omnilex-key=us-ar-regs-official--title-6-part-190--6 CAR § 190-101}

6 CAR § 190-101. Purpose.

The purpose of this part is:

(1) The improvement of student learning by strengthening principal leadership;

(2) The encouragement of principals to participate in and complete the Master School Principal Program by authorizing the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education to pay full incentive bonuses to participants;

(3) The establishment of eligibility requirements; and

(4) The establishment of the mechanism for the payment to principal participants as determined by the amount of funding available for the program.

History

• Codification Notes: This section as promulgated prior to codification into the Code of Arkansas Rules contained language at the end of the section that provided as follows:"Source: Ark. Code Ann.§ 6-17-1602" Authority: Arkansas Code § 6-17-1602

6 CAR § 190-102 Definitions {#sec-6-car-190-102 omnilex-key=us-ar-regs-official--title-6-part-190--6 CAR § 190-102}

6 CAR § 190-102. Definitions.

For the purposes of this part, the following terms shall mean:

(1) "Arkansas Leadership Academy" is defined as a collaborative partnership which identifies and designates principals who meet rigorous standards by effectively demonstrating student learning in their schools as well as demonstrating high levels of knowledge, skills, dispositions, and commitments approved by the State Board of Education;

(2) "Building-level principal" means a principal who:

(A) Holds a standard building-level administrator license from the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education or is working under an approved licensure exception; and

(B) Serves as a full-time school principal in an Arkansas public school;

(3) "High-need public school" means an Arkansas public school that, at the time a master principal first becomes entitled to a high-need school salary bonus, is identified as failing to meet certain established levels of academic achievement under rules adopted by the State Board of Education;

(4)(A) "High-need school salary bonus" means an annual bonus to a master principal serving as a principal of a high-need public school.

(B) High-need schools will be schools that are identified every three (3) years as in need of comprehensive support and improvement using the ESSA School Index score as approved in the Approved Arkansas Every Student Succeeds Act Plan:

(i) Lowest performing five percent (5%) of all schools receiving Title I, Part A funds;

(ii) High schools with a four-year Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate below sixty-six and six hundred sixty-seven thousandths percent (66.667%);

(5) "Hold-back longevity bonus" means a portion of the high-need school salary bonus held back to be paid at the end of three (3) years and five (5) years of serving as a principal of the same high-need public school;

(6) "Incentive bonus" means a bonus paid to a master principal serving as a principal of any public school in the state; and

(7) "Successful completion" of the master school principal designation process is defined as officially being designated as a master principal by the Arkansas Leadership Academy.

History

• Codification Notes: This section as promulgated prior to codification into the Code of Arkansas Rules contained language at the end of the section that provided as follows:"Source: Ark. Code Ann.§ 6-17-1601" Authority: Arkansas Code § 6-17-1602

6 CAR § 190-103 Selection process and requirements {#sec-6-car-190-103 omnilex-key=us-ar-regs-official--title-6-part-190--6 CAR § 190-103}

6 CAR § 190-103. Selection process and requirements.

(a)(1) The Arkansas Leadership Academy administers the Master School Principal Program.

(2) Program applications are available from the academy.

(3)(A) All Arkansas public school building-level principals with one (1) year of experience as a building-level principal may apply.

(B) Preference will be given to applicants with three (3) or more years of leadership experience.

(C) The years of experience preference may be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

(4) The number of participants each year in each phase may be determined by the amount of funding available for the program.

(b) Criteria and selection to the Master School Principal Program.

(1) Phase one.

(A) Phase one shall expand the knowledge base and leadership skills of the principal.

(B) Selection of participants for phase one will be based on responses to the application and on a balance of demographic information.

(C) The number of participants each year may be determined by the amount of funding available for the program.

(2) Phase two.

(A) Phase two shall require the principal to:

(i) Apply strategies; and

(ii) Collect evidence of improvement in student learning and school processes.

(B) Phase two participants are those who have successfully demonstrated a thorough understanding and implementation of Arkansas Leadership Standards addressed in phase one as evidenced by phase one assessments, which may include:

(i) Portfolios;

(ii) Student achievement data;

(iii) Site visits;

(iv) Self-assessments; and

(v) Other forms of evidence.

(3) Phase three.

(A) Selection of participants for phase three will be based on a participant's successful completion of:

(i) Phase two assessments;

(ii) Evidence of school results; and

(iii) Letters of recommendation.

(B) Phase three shall require the principal to publicly demonstrate the ability and skills that lead to sustained academic improvement in a school and a school district.

(C) Phase three participants are those who have successfully demonstrated a thorough understanding and implementation of Arkansas Leadership Standards addressed in phase two as evidenced by phase two assessments, which may include:

(i) Portfolios;

(ii) Student achievement data;

(iii) Site visits;

(iv) Self-assessments; and

(v) Other forms of evidence.

(4) Master school principal designation. The academy will make a master school principal designation after a participant successfully:

(A) Completes phase three;

(B) Passes extensive reviews of school results; and

(C) Passes rigorous assessments based on the performance areas of the assessment.

(5) Participants in the Master School Principal Program will have up to two (2) years to complete the assessments for each phase, for a maximum time of six (6) years to complete the program and earn designation unless extended at the discretion of the academy due to extenuating circumstances.

History

• Codification Notes: This section as promulgated prior to codification into the Code of Arkansas Rules contained language at the end of the section that provided as follows:"Source: Ark. Code Ann. § 6-17-1602" Authority: Arkansas Code § 6-17-1602

6 CAR § 190-104 Payment of fees and bonuses {#sec-6-car-190-104 omnilex-key=us-ar-regs-official--title-6-part-190--6 CAR § 190-104}

6 CAR § 190-104. Payment of fees and bonuses.

(a) Incentive bonus.

(1) The Division of Elementary and Secondary Education shall pay a:

(A) Nine-thousand-dollar annual incentive bonus to a school district that employs a master principal designee as a full-time building-level principal for payment to the master principal designee as a bonus in the first school year after designation; and

(B) Yearly bonus for each of the next four (4) consecutive years of eligibility.

(2) The lifetime maximum for an incentive bonus is forty-five thousand dollars ($45,000).

(3) A qualified applicant will establish eligibility for receipt of the incentive bonus by submitting to the division, on an annual basis, proof of:

(A) Receiving the official master school principal designation from the Arkansas Leadership Academy;

(B) At the time of receiving the bonus, being employed full-time as a building-level principal in an Arkansas public school district, verified by the school district; and

(C) Not having received the nine-thousand-dollar annual incentive bonus for more than four (4) years.

(b) High-need school salary bonus.

(1) The division shall pay a high-need salary bonus of twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) for every school year for no more than five (5) years to any building-level principal who:

(A) Receives master school principal designation from the academy; and

(B) Is employed full-time as a building-level principal at the time of receiving the bonus in a high-need public school.

(2) The high-need school salary bonus shall be paid as follows:

(A) Twenty thousand dollars ($20,000) for each school year that a master principal is employed in a high-need public school; and

(B) An additional five thousand dollars ($5,000) to be set aside for each qualifying school year to be paid as follows:

(i) An initial hold-back longevity bonus of fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000) at the end of three (3) consecutive school years as a master principal in the same school; and

(ii) A final hold-back longevity bonus of ten thousand dollars ($10,000) at the end of five (5) consecutive school years as a master principal in the same school.

(3) The high-need school salary bonus with the hold-back longevity bonus payable under this section shall be paid in addition to the five-year incentive bonus allowed in subsection (a) of this section if the master principal is within the timeframe for eligibility for the five-year incentive bonus.

(4) In the Master School Principal Program, a person shall not receive a yearly incentive bonus, a salary bonus, or a longevity bonus if the person leaves full-time employment as a principal of an Arkansas public school district.

(5) No increase in the starting or yearly bonus is retroactive.

History

• Codification Notes: This section as promulgated prior to codification into the Code of Arkansas Rules contained language at the end of the section that provided as follows:"Source: Ark. Code Ann. § 6-17-1604"This section as promulgated prior to codification into the Code of Arkansas Rules contained language immediately following subdivision (a)(3)(C) that provided as follows:"Source: Ark. Code Ann.§ 6-17-1603" Authorities: Arkansas Code § 6-17-1602; Arkansas Code § 6-17-1603; Arkansas Code § 6-17-1604

6 CAR § 190-105 Repayment of yearly incentive bonus {#sec-6-car-190-105 omnilex-key=us-ar-regs-official--title-6-part-190--6 CAR § 190-105}

6 CAR § 190-105. Repayment of yearly incentive bonus.

(a)(1) Repayment of state funds for the Arkansas Leadership Academy Master School Principal Program is required if a recipient does not complete the school year in which the bonus was received as a full-time building-level principal.

(2) The repayment amount shall be prorated for the time not served.

(b) The State Board of Education may revoke a building-level administrator license for failure to repay state funds under this part.

6 CAR § 190-106 Monitoring {#sec-6-car-190-106 omnilex-key=us-ar-regs-official--title-6-part-190--6 CAR § 190-106}

6 CAR § 190-106. Monitoring.

The local public school district that employs a master principal must verify to the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education annually the employment status of that principal for each year of the five-year annual incentive bonus eligibility.

6 CAR § 190-107 Funding {#sec-6-car-190-107 omnilex-key=us-ar-regs-official--title-6-part-190--6 CAR § 190-107}

6 CAR § 190-107. Funding.

(a) The payment for any bonus under this part is subject to the appropriation and availability of funds.

(b) To the extent funds as provided for by Arkansas Code § 6-17-1601 et seq. are available, such funds may be used to fund the:

(1) Incentive bonus;

(2) High-need salary bonus; and

(3) Hold-back longevity bonus.