On March 15, 2021, the Arkansas Department of Education (ADE) Office of Computer Science announced, via Commissioner’s Memo COM-21-098 (http://adecm.arkansas.gov/ViewApprovedMemo.aspx?Id=4700), the 2021 Arkansas Computer Science and Computing Educator Academy (ACSCEA) and requested proposals for a public university partner.
Two submissions were received by the ADE Office of Computer Science in response to the request for proposals (RFP). A committee with representation from K-12, postsecondary, ADE, and the Governor’s Office, reviewed both submissions and made its unanimous recommendation to Secretary of Education Johnny Key. Secretary Key agreed with the recommendation and the ADE is pleased to announce that the 2021 ACSCEA Public University Partner will be Arkansas Tech University (ATU) in Russellville, Arkansas. A copy of the description section of the proposal from ATU is attached to this Commissioner’s Memo.
Individuals completing the 2021 ACSCEA successfully, to both ATU’s and ADE’s requirements, will be eligible to receive credit for INFT 5403 Introduction to Information Technology and Systems (three credit hours) and INFT 6903 Emerging Trends (three credit hours). These six hours of graduate-level credit are aligned to two of the courses within ATU’s Master of Science in Information Technology – Computer-Based Instructional Technology (MS-CBIT). This degree program is housed within the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences within the Department of Computer and Information Science.
In addition to the six graduate-level hours, participants who successfully complete the 90 hours of training, and hold an Arkansas Educator’s License, will be awarded a 5016 Computer Science Approval Code. Individuals using this training to meet requirements for technical permits, will be required to complete all other requirements before a 5013 or 5014 Computer Science Technical Permit may be awarded. Additional information on the Computer Science Approval Code and Technical Permits can be found under the “Licensure Requirements of the ADE Approved Computer Science Courses” section of the ADE Computer Science Fact Sheet (http://csforar.info/Licensure).
ADE will provide ATU a finalized list of selected participants and their contact information. ATU will send selected participants a link to apply for admission to the Arkansas Tech Graduate College, which is a requirement to be awarded the six hours of credit. Funding provided by ADE will pay for participants’ application and tuition fees for these six hours.
The ACSCEA is restricted to Arkansas residents who are either employed by an Arkansas public school district.
or intend to teach within an Arkansas public school district. All applicants must submit a letter of support from a Superintendent of an Arkansas Public School District for consideration. Up to 100 candidates will be accepted for the summer 2021. Candidate selection may be prioritized based on regional needs and for districts that are classified as high-poverty. The application window is open now and will close at 11:59 p.m. on May 30, 2021.