- (a) The Division of Law Enforcement Standards and Training shall certify instructors deemed qualified to teach in one (1) or more of the prescribed training courses.
(b) Certification.
(1)
- (A) Instructors will be certified on a basis of minimum qualifications in the areas of education, training, and experience.
- (B) It is the responsibility of the school director to see that instructors are:
(i) Assigned only topics that they are qualified to teach; and
- (ii) Supervised on a regular basis to ensure that instructional excellence is maintained.
(2) The actual evaluation and selection of instructors is the responsibility of the school director, and the school director is responsible for the quality of the instruction provided.
- (c) Firearms instructor certification.
(1) Firearms instructor certificates will be issued only to those persons who have:
- (A) Satisfactorily completed a division-approved instructor development course and a division-approved firearms instructor course; and
- (B) Demonstrated instructional and range proficiency.
(2) Instructor development is a prerequisite to take the division-approved firearms instructor course.
- (d) Revocation of instructor certificate. Instructor certification may be revoked whenever an instructor is deemed by the Arkansas Commission on Law Enforcement Standards and Training to be unqualified to continue teaching.
(e) Types of certification. For purposes of certification of instructors, all approved law enforcement training will be designated as follows:
(1) Professional.
- (A) Professional subjects will be those subjects that are clearly law enforcement in nature.
(B) Requirements:
- (i)
- (a) (a) Law enforcement and/or military police experience.
(b) (b) A minimum of three (3) years of law enforcement experience and/or military police training is required for personnel instructing law enforcement subjects.
(c) (c) The division may grant an individual with specialized skills or knowledge the authority to teach professional courses when the individual lacks law enforcement experience and the division believes the best interests of law enforcement will be served; and
- (ii)
- (a) (a) Training.
(b) (b) New applicants for instructor certification must have completed an instructor development training course consisting of a minimum of thirty-two (32) hours of division-approved classroom instruction or the equivalent including, but not limited to, the following topics:
- (1) (1) Communications;
- (2) (2) Psychology of learning;
- (3) (3) Techniques of instruction;
- (4) (4) Use of instructional aids;
- (5) (5) Preparing and using lesson plans;
- (6) (6) Evaluation of training;
- (7) (7) Preparing and administering tests;
- (8) (8) Teaching resources;
- (9) (9) Planning for instruction and learning;
- (10) (10) Trainee motivation and counseling; and
(11) (11) Practical exercises in the application of instructional principles presented in the course.
- (c)
- (1) (c)(1) An instructor's certificate may be issued without completion of the required instructor development course if an individual has documented expertise in the area of instruction.
(2) (2) Documented expertise may include:
- (A) (A) The completion of specialized and advanced education or training;
- (B) (B) Acceptance as expert by court;
- (C) (C) Association or society, or other recognizing body; and/or
- (D) (D) Experience in the subject area.
- (3) (3) The division retains the right to accept or reject submitted documentation as evidence of expertise.
- (4) (4) Any certificate issued shall only entitle the individual to teach the subject or subjects specified in division-approved courses;
(2) Firearms. Firearms training is a professional subject, therefore, a firearms instructor certificate will be issued only to those officers who have successfully:
- (A) Met the requirements outlined in this section; and
- (B) Completed a firearms instructor course approved by the division; and
(3) General.
- (A) General subjects will be those subjects that are clearly not law enforcement in nature, i.e., criminal law, human relations, management subjects, etc.
(B)
- (i) Requirements:
- (a) (a) At least three (3) years of experience in the subject area to be instructed;
(b) (b) Recommendation of school director; and
- (c) (c) Either:
- (1) (1) A baccalaureate degree with a major or concentration of courses in the discipline or an area to be taught or as required by the division;
- (2) (2) An associate degree with coursework in the discipline or area to be taught or as required by the division and three (3) years' experience in a criminal justice occupation or a related occupation; or
(3) (3) The equivalent of subdivisions (e)(3)(B)(i)(b)(1) and (2), above, as determined by the division; and
- (ii) Usual formalities of certification may be waived by the division for those teaching general subjects.
(f) Certification of instructors.
- (1) Applications for instructor certification, both professional and general, will be made in a manner adopted by the division.
- (2) Once a person has been certified as an instructor, they need not report to the division again except to report changes or request certification to instruct in additional subject areas.