State Teacher Policy Database Homepage › Arkansas › Policy Priority: Teacher Diversity

Supports for Teachers of Color

Learn more about how Arkansas is performing on Supports for Teachers of Color in the Teacher Diversity policy area.
Go to a policy lever Data Systems Financial Incentives Supports for Teachers of Color Teacher Pipeline Programs
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Arkansas's Performance

Ungraded
NCTQ evaluates whether states are effectively using this policy lever by examining whether they support certain programs for teachers of color such as affinity groups or trainings and whether they publish disaggregated retention data. Explore the key actions below to learn more about how Arkansas is implementing policies to Support Teachers of Color.

Why does this matter?

While bringing more teachers of color into the classroom in the first place is critical, those efforts count for little in the long run if schools cannot retain these teachers. National annual turnover of teachers of color, has been somewhat higher (19%) than that of white teachers (15%).1

Why does Arkansas stand out?

Arkansas’ strategy to increase the racial, ethnic, and linguistic diversity of the teacher workforce includes retention initiatives, mentorship, and/or affinity spaces. 

Arkansas requires districts to set numeric goals around recruiting and retaining teachers and school leaders of color. Districts must submit to the state detailed data on their progress meeting these goals (including, among other metrics, racial/ethnic demographics of the teacher and administrator hiring pool, current teachers/administrators, and attrition data) as part of detailed plans on how they will ensure schools retain teachers of color. Districts are required to post plans to their websites, and subsequently submit plans to the Arkansas Department of Education, where they are reviewed by multiple offices based on a shared rubric.2

What are the key actions Arkansas should take?

    • See what these exemplars are doing in this policy area:

    Minnesota
    Delaware

    Key Resources

    State of the States 2023: Teacher Diversity

    Explore NCTQ’s comprehensive scan of state teacher diversity policies.

    Explore resource

    Increasing teacher diversity: Four ways districts can take action

    Learn more about how districts can create the conditions for a more diverse workforce.

    Explore resource

    Teacher Prep Review: Program Diversity and Admissions

    Dive into NCTQ’s 2021 analysis of the diversity of educator preparation programs.

    Explore resource

    Do states have the data they need to answer important questions about their teacher workforce?

    Read more about the data states are collecting, what data is missing, and recommendations for strengthening data systems.

    Explore resource
    References
    1. Carver-Thomas, D. (2018b). Diversifying the teaching profession through high-retention pathways. Learning Policy Institute.
    2. Teacher and Administrator Recruitment and Retention Plan. (n.d.). Division of Elementary and Secondary Education; State of Arkansas. https://dese.ade.arkansas.gov/Offices/legal/equity-assistance-center/teacher-and-administrator-recruitment-and-retention-plan; Conversation with Arkansas Department of Education, May 2023.