Arkansas

To qualify for an educator license in Arkansas, applicants must complete the required degree, coursework, and tests, including:

• completion of an approved program at an Arkansas institution, or if an out-of-state applicant, graduation from a regionally or nationally accredited institution.
• submission of an official transcript indicating at least a bachelor's degree (master's degree when required) to the Office of Professional Licensure.
• verification of successful completion of the grade-level-appropriate Principles of Learning and Teaching test and the appropriate Praxis Subject Assessments, when applicable; review the Arkansas Test Requirements table for specific score requirements.
• For more information on educator licensure in Arkansas, check out the Educator Licensure section of the Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary Education website.

• Arkansas requires your Social Security number and your date of birth to ensure accurate downloading of your Praxis scores into the Arkansas licensure database. Failure to provide this information when registering for your Praxis assessment(s) will mean that your Praxis score(s) cannot be electronically downloaded into the Arkansas licensure database, and you will have to submit your score report directly to the Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary Education, Office of Professional Licensure.
• ETS discontinued paper-delivered testing.
• However, Praxis tests will continue to be available in a paper-delivered format as required for ADA accommodations.
• All scores for previously administered paper-delivered tests are reportable for 10 years from the date the test was taken.

• If you test in Arkansas at a test center or at home, and your Praxis profile address is in Arkansas, your score report will be sent automatically to the Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary Education.
• If you test outside Arkansas or your Praxis profile address is not in Arkansas, your scores are NOT automatically sent to the Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary Education. To have your scores sent to the Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary Education, you must select the Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary Education (state code 7031) as a score recipient when you register.
• For all methods of testing, to request additional score reports, you must select the Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary Education (state code 7031) with each additional score report request.

• In Arkansas, initial applicants and applicants adding areas to a current license must pass assessments adopted by the State Board of Education in order to be issued an educator or administrator license.

• The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) rescinds the Highly Qualified Teacher (HQT) provisions in No Child Left Behind. The Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary Education has instituted Arkansas Qualified Teacher (AQT) requirements. More information can be found at the Arkansas Qualified Teacher website.
• Alternative Learning Environment teachers who are required to demonstrate content knowledge as a multi-subject teacher may use the Praxis Fundamental Subjects: Content Knowledge (5511) test with a minimum score of 148. This assessment will not be used for licensure endorsements or certifications but only for meeting AQT requirements.

If you hold a non-education bachelor’s degree and would like to transition into teaching, you will need to complete an alternative route program. To learn more, review Arkansas's Pathways to Licensure: Alternate Routes website.