This Commissioner’s Memo provides clarification for Act 307 of 2007, as it amends Ark. Code Ann. § 6-15-1702 passed by the 86th General Assembly. Act 307 of 2007 amends § 6-15-1702 of the current parental involvement law, amended by Act 603 of 2003.
The Arkansas Department of Education is clarifying two of the amendments of the newly implemented Act 307 of 2007:
1. Ark. Code Ann. § 6-15-1702(b)(4)(B)(ii): Publish a notice in the local newspaper at the end of each school year honoring parents who attend all parent-teacher conferences scheduled by the schools has been amended from the parent involvement requirements.
2. Arkansas Code Ann. Code § 6-15-1702(b)(3)(C): To encourage communication with parents, the school shall schedule no less than two (2) parent-teacher conferences per school year. According to Representative Walters, the parent-teacher conferences requirement in Act 603 of 2003 was amended due to the two (2) parent-teacher conference being addressed in the Standards for Accreditation. In no way was the Act 307 of 2007 amendment meant to delete the two (2) mandated parent-teacher conferences.