Earn the professional development hours you need to renew your Arkansas teaching license, on your own schedule. iTeachAI Academy offers standards-aligned professional development for K-12 educators, anchored to Arkansas frameworks, each course three clock hours, with a Certificate of Completion that documents toward your renewal.
Arkansas requires standard license holders to complete 36 hours of professional development every year, 180 hours across the five-year renewal cycle. iTeachAI Academy was founded by Dr. Janette Camacho, a 30-year K-12 educator, and every Arkansas course is anchored to specific Arkansas Department of Education frameworks, not generic national content. Courses are self-paced, work on any device, and are designed to fit Arkansas's annual PD and district-acceptable professional development pathways.
Browse Arkansas Recertification Courses →
36
PD hours Arkansas requires every year
25
Arkansas-aligned courses
100%
Online and self-paced
Arkansas Certificate Renewal Requirements
To renew a standard Arkansas teaching license, the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and the State Board of Education require professional development completed across the five-year renewal cycle:
- 36 professional development (PD) hours each year, totaling 180 hours across the five-year renewal cycle. Licenses expire December 31 of the fifth year.
- Required training topics at least once during the cycle, including child maltreatment / mandated reporter training, mental health awareness, teen suicide awareness and prevention, and bullying prevention.
- Arkansas Scientific Reading Instruction Awareness Credential (science of reading and structured literacy) as a condition of renewal for licenses expiring December 31, 2023 and thereafter.
- Renewal, PD documentation, the background check, and the renewal fee are completed online through the Arkansas Educator Licensure System (AELS) at aels.ade.arkansas.gov. Graduate semester credit may be converted to PD hours at 1 semester credit equals 15 PD hours.
Every iTeachAI Academy course provides three IACET-aligned clock hours and a verifiable Certificate of Completion you can document toward your annual PD total. Confirm with your district how external PD is recorded in AELS.
Arkansas Standards and Frameworks Anchored
Each course cites and references specific Arkansas frameworks by name, not generic national standards.
Arkansas Educator Licensure Standards
Educator preparation, induction, and renewal expectations governed by the Arkansas Professional Licensure Standards Board (PLSB) and DESE.
Right to Read Act (Act 1063 of 2017) and RISE
Arkansas's foundational science-of-reading law plus the Reading Initiative for Student Excellence professional learning framework.
LEARNS Act (Act 237 of 2023)
Arkansas's omnibus K-12 education reform, including literacy gates, teacher-pay floor, and accountability provisions.
Arkansas Academic Standards
State academic standards across ELA, mathematics, science, social studies, and the arts.
Arkansas Special Education Procedural Requirements
IDEA implementation and inclusion practice anchors specific to Arkansas.
TESS (Teacher Excellence and Support System)
Arkansas's teacher evaluation and growth framework, the basis for educator observation and support.
How Arkansas Districts Approve iTeachAI for PD Hours
Effective August 10, 2024, DESE eliminated the state-level approval program; the department no longer approves outside professional development providers or issues approval codes. Under the Rules Governing Professional Development, Arkansas districts now have full autonomy to select and document PD that meets the requirement when it is offered exclusively for their own employees. iTeachAI Academy courses are anchored to Arkansas frameworks and built for that district-acceptable pathway. The route is simple:
- A district designee reviews one or more courses through a no-cost reviewer account.
- The district documents approved courses in its local PD plan.
- Teachers complete courses, receive a Certificate of Completion, and submit it toward their annual PD total and license renewal.
What Makes Arkansas Coursework Different at iTeachAI
- Educator-built, not vendor-built. Authored by a 30-year K-12 educator with a doctorate.
- Arkansas frameworks by name. Arkansas Academic Standards, the Right to Read Act and RISE, the LEARNS Act, Arkansas special education requirements, and TESS. No generic content.
- Multi-modal. Each course includes a study guide, slide deck, and a built-in AI study guide trained on that course.
- Renewal-ready documentation. A verifiable Certificate of Completion with contact hours, built for your annual PD total and the district PD plan.
- Reasonable in cost and time. Accessible for individual teachers and districts, with no procurement RFP required.
- IACET-aligned three-clock-hour design. Self-paced, on any device.
For Arkansas School District Leadership
If you direct curriculum, professional learning, or federal programs at an Arkansas district, I would be glad to send a no-cost reviewer account so a designee can audit any course end to end before approval.
I will also share a sample certificate, the course catalog with descriptions, and a fifteen-minute call at your convenience.
Reply by email: info@iteachai.co or call (561) 450-8377.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is iTeachAI Academy continuing education for already-licensed teachers, or initial teacher preparation?
- It is continuing education for educators who are already licensed in Arkansas and renewing their certificate. iTeachAI Academy provides clock hours toward your renewal. We do not prepare candidates for a first-time teaching credential and our courses do not lead to initial licensure.
- How do I renew my Arkansas teaching certificate?
- Standard license holders renew on a five-year cycle by completing 36 PD hours each year (180 across the cycle), finishing the required training topics, passing a background check, and paying the renewal fee through the Arkansas Educator Licensure System (AELS) at aels.ade.arkansas.gov. DESE governs renewal. iTeachAI courses provide clock hours and a Certificate of Completion you document toward that total.
- Do iTeachAI courses count toward my 36 PD hours?
- Each course provides three IACET-aligned clock hours with a Certificate of Completion suitable for documentation toward your Arkansas annual PD total. Since August 10, 2024, DESE no longer approves outside providers; districts select and document PD locally, and our courses are anchored to Arkansas frameworks for that pathway. Confirm with your district how external PD is logged in AELS.
- How many clock hours does each course provide?
- Three clock hours per course, IACET-aligned, suitable for your Arkansas annual 36-hour PD total and your five-year license renewal.
- What does it cost in time and money?
- iTeachAI keeps cost and time reasonable. Each course runs about three clock hours, is self-paced, and stays accessible for individual teachers, with district site licenses available. Email info@iteachai.co for current options.
- Do you provide a certificate of completion?
- Yes. Every completed course awards a verifiable Certificate of Completion with contact hours, suitable for documentation toward Arkansas teaching license renewal.
- How do I get a reviewer account for my district?
- Email info@iteachai.co with your district name and role. A no-cost reviewer account is provisioned within one business day.