6 CAR § 90-109 – Literacy coaches

(a) Each kindergarten through grade three (K-3) teacher in a public school earning a “D” or “F” rating under Arkansas Code § 6-15-2105 or § 6-15-2106 or State Board of Education rules, or a low-performing public school based on results of the public school's kindergarten through grade three (K-3) high-quality literacy screener, shall have access to a literacy coach to support increased literacy rates through coaching for teachers and administrators.
(b) Subject to legislative appropriation, the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education shall provide, train, and assign literacy coaches to low-performing public schools based on results of the public school's kindergarten through grade three (K-3) high-quality literacy screener.
(c) A literacy coach shall have without limitation:
1. (1) Expertise in both pedagogy and the science of reading;
2. (2) Evidence of success in coaching and classroom instruction;
3. (3) An understanding of learning disabilities in reading; and
4. (4) An understanding of the child find mandate of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 20 U.S.C. § 1400 et seq., as it existed on January 1, 2023.
(d) A literacy coach shall:
1. (1) Leverage knowledge of evidence-based instruction and practices aligned to the science of reading to support teachers in maximizing student learning;
2. (2) Engage in instructional coaching cycles with teachers to build capacity for classroom instructional practices;
3. (3) Deliver consistent and frequent job-embedded professional learning;
4. (4) Design and facilitate relevant and cohesive professional learning sessions to strengthen the implementation of evidence-based instructional practices aligned to the science of reading with teachers;
5. (5) Assist teachers in analyzing data to inform instructional adjustments;
6. (6) Partner with teachers to integrate professional learning into classroom practice;
7. (7) Work with teachers to ensure effective communication strategies and resource sharing with parents, legal guardians, and persons standing in loco parentis to students;
8. (8) Partner with a public school principal or designated leader to connect school-wide literacy goals with evidence-based instruction and practices aligned to the science of reading;
9. (9) Provide feedback on teachers’ evidence-based instruction and practices that may be used for teacher evaluations;
10. (10) Actively participate in professional learning experiences to deepen knowledge and skills for coaching;
11. (11) Be compensated on a competitive salary schedule;
12. (12) Receive a yearly bonus of up to ten thousand dollars ($10,000) if the overall school score of the schools the literacy coach is assigned to:
  1. (A) Demonstrates outstanding growth in student performance as determined by the state’s value-added model system; and
  2. (B) Meets performance criteria set by the division; and
13. (13) Meet performance criteria set by the division that may include:
  1. (A) Surveys;
  2. (B) Evaluation tools; and
  3. (C) Student data.