The following information summarizes the requirements currently necessary to begin work in the public school system as an:
Audiologist or Speech-Language Pathologist
The information below has been collected by researching individual state department of education regulations and policy documents, state administrative code provisions and by contacting each state department of education. Please be advised that regulations and policy may change at any time, so always check with your state department of education for the most up-to-date information.
Audiologist
Audiologists in the public schools are contract employees and do not fall under specific teacher requirements of the State Department of Education. State licensure is typically required for practice in the schools.
Speech-Language Pathologist
Speech-Language Pathologist
- Master's degree from an accredited speech-language pathology or communication disorders program
- Passage of Praxis II Exam in speech-language pathology with a minimum score of 600
Continuing Education Requirement
Sixty clock hours of approved continuing professional education is required annually to maintain professional teaching license in Speech Pathology for employment in a public education agency.
Emergency Certification
None is required by the Arkansas Department of Education in the field of speech-language pathology for teacher licensure.
Support Personnel
Speech-language pathology aides (minimum of a high school diploma) and speech-language pathology assistants (bachelor's degree in speech pathology) under the supervision of an appropriately licensed Master's degree level SLP may be used in public education agencies with the approval of the Arkansas Department of Education (ADE) Special Education Unit in accordance with guidelines adopted by the Arkansas Department of Education and a written agreement between the ADE Special Education Unit and the Arkansas Board of Examiners in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology.