(a)

1. (1) Public school districts or public charter schools desiring to participate in the Rewarding Excellence in Achievement Program must submit an application to the State Board of Education on forms developed by the Department of Education.
2. (2) A district may apply on behalf of a single school within the public school district that desires to participate in the Rewarding Excellence in Achievement plan.

(b)

1. (1) Participants shall be selected through a competitive process.
2. (2) Consideration will be given to qualified applicants from various locations and from districts of various sizes and demographics.

(f)

1. (1)

   1. (A) To the extent practicable, the department shall select three (3) Rewarding Excellence in Achievement Program participants from each congressional district with at least one (1) participant having a student population of:

(i) Fewer than one thousand (1,000) students;

1. (ii) Between one thousand and eight thousand (1,000 – 8,000) students; and

   1. (iii) Greater than eight thousand (8,000) students.

   2. (B) In addition, the department shall, to the extent possible, strive to have Rewarding Excellence in Achievement Program participants from each congressional district with at least one (1) participant from each who has:

      1. (i) A percentage of eligible free and reduced-price lunch (FRL) student population greater than ninety percent (90%) of students;
      2. (ii) Less than ninety percent (90%) but greater than seventy percent (70%) eligible FRL students; and
      3. (iii) Less than seventy percent (70%) FRL-eligible students.
   3. (C) To the extent possible, the department shall try to mix the student population requirements with differing demographics of the percentage of eligible FRL students between congressional districts so as to have a varied representation of size and demographic of students in the pilot study.

2. (2)

   1. (A) Each participant that meets the criteria mentioned in this subsection shall receive a point or points pursuant to the rubric, which will be developed by the committee (6 CAR § 187-104(b)), for each criteria met.

   2. (B) In addition, each participant application shall receive a point or points on a competitive scale based on the quality of compliance with the requirements of:

      1. (i) This section;
      2. (ii) 6 CAR § 187-104(a); and
      3. (iii) 6 CAR § 187-105.
3. (3) The department has the discretion to select certain Rewarding Excellence in Achievement Program participants as necessary to comply with the selection criteria of this subsection regardless of the competitive score of any single participant.

(g)

1. (1) To participate in the Rewarding Excellence in Achievement Program, a participant must have an approved comprehensive school improvement plan as defined in Arkansas Code § 6-15-419(9) [repealed].

2. (2) Prior to full implementation of a Rewarding Excellence in Achievement plan, the comprehensive school improvement plan of the participant shall include:

   1. (A) Assessment and evaluation tools to measure student performance and progress based on an achievement gains model;
   2. (B) Performance goals and benchmark improvement;
   3. (C) Measures of student attendance and completion rates;

   4. (D) A rigorous professional development system consistent with the:

      1. (i) Comprehensive school improvement plan defined in Arkansas Code § 6-15-419(9) [repealed]; and
      2. (ii) Student academic improvement plans as defined in Arkansas Code § 6-15-419(2) [repealed];
   5. (E) Measures of student, family, and community involvement and satisfaction;
   6. (F) A data reporting system about students and their academic progress that provides parents and the public with understandable information;
   7. (G) A teacher induction and mentoring program for probationary teachers that provides continuous learning and sustained teacher support; and
   8. (H) Substantial participation by teachers in developing the Rewarding Excellence in Achievement plan.

(h)

1. (1) As part of the application process, schools wishing to participate shall conduct a vote of the teachers to show or express interest in the development of a Rewarding Excellence in Achievement plan with the level for acceptance being seventy percent (70%) or another percentage:

   1. (A) Established by a majority vote of the teachers; and
   2. (B) Approved by the local board.
2. (2) After the local committee completes the development of the Rewarding Excellence in Achievement plan, it will be distributed to the teachers before submission to the state board.
3. (3) If fifty-one percent (51%) or more of a participating school’s teachers elect not to participate, the Rewarding Excellence in Achievement plan shall not be approved by the state board or implemented.

4. (4) A teacher in a school selected by the state board to participate may elect not to participate in the Rewarding Excellence in Achievement plan.

   1. (i)
5. (1) All recipients of funds provided by the Rewarding Excellence in Achievement plan shall cooperate and share all school demographic and student achievement data with any state-sponsored evaluation of this program.

6. (2)

   1. (A) Applicant public school districts or public charter schools shall form a committee to consist of their administrators and teachers, the majority of whom shall be classroom teachers.
   2. (B) The classroom teacher members of the committee shall be elected by a majority of the classroom teachers voting by secret ballot.
   3. (C) The election shall be solely and exclusively conducted by classroom teachers, including the distribution of ballots to all classroom teachers.
7. (3) The committee shall be responsible for creating, assisting in the implementation of, and evaluating the school’s Rewarding Excellence in Achievement plan.
8. (4) The committee shall annually report to its local board on the evaluation of the school’s Rewarding Excellence in Achievement plan.

(j) The contents of a Rewarding Excellence in Achievement plan approved for participation in the Rewarding Excellence in Achievement Program shall describe:

1. (1) How teachers can achieve career advancement and additional compensation;

2. (2) How participants will provide teachers with career advancement options that:

   1. (A) Allow teachers to retain primary roles in student instruction; and
   2. (B) Facilitate site-focused professional development that will help other teachers improve their skills;
3. (3) All assurances as to how the plan will prevent the initial compensation of participating staff members from being reduced by implementing the pay system developed as a result of the Rewarding Excellence in Achievement plan;
4. (4) How the forty percent to sixty percent (40% – 60%) performance portion of compensation will be determined;
5. (5) How the forty percent to sixty percent (40% – 60%) knowledge and skill base portion of compensation will be determined;
6. (6) How the plan will reform the “steps and lanes” salary schedule;
7. (7) How the participants will encourage a collaborative relationship among teachers; and
8. (8) How, after full plan implementation, the alternative compensation system will be sustained if it is deemed successful or phased out if the Rewarding Excellence in Achievement plan evaluation reveals that the plan does not work for the participant.

(k) Rewarding Excellence in Achievement plans approved for participation in the program may include provisions regarding the compensation for administrators and other staff members.

1. (l) Under the Rewarding Excellence in Achievement plan, increases in compensation for the performance portion, forty percent to sixty percent (40% – 60%) of the teacher’s total compensation, shall include:

2. (1)

   1. (A) Achievement gains of students in each teacher’s class on student scores under the statewide assessment program described in Arkansas Code § 6-15-433 [repealed].
   2. (B) Locally selected and department-approved standardized assessment outcomes for students in each teacher’s class may also be included;

3. (2)

   1. (A) Achievement gains of students on a schoolwide basis under the statewide assessment program described in Arkansas Code § 6-15-433 [repealed].
   2. (B) Locally selected and department-approved standardized assessment outcomes may also be included; and

4. (3) The remaining percentage of the performance portion of compensation of the teacher’s total compensation shall be based on an objective teacher evaluation program that includes:

   1. (A) An individual objective teacher evaluation conducted by the school principal that is aligned with the comprehensive school improvement plan and professional development plan described in Arkansas Code § 6-15-2607; and

   2. (B) Peer objective evaluations using multiple criteria:

      1. (i) Conducted by locally selected and periodically trained evaluators who understand teaching and learning; and
      2. (ii) That include provisions for integrated ongoing site-based professional development activities to improve instructional skills and learning that are aligned with student needs under Arkansas Code § 6-15-2009 [repealed].