One in 12 educators working in Arkansas public schools are unlicensed or teaching outside of their certification area.
That number has more than doubled in the last seven years, an Advocate analysis of state data found, as districts have used additional licensure exceptions to cope with teacher shortages.
Research is mixed about what this trend means for students, but studies have found that certification status isn’t necessarily the best indicator of a teacher’s effectiveness.
Read more from the Arkansas Advocate.
