The Arkansas Department of Education (ADE) Rules Governing Nutrition and Physical Activity Standards and Body Mass Index for Age Assessment Protocols in Arkansas Public Schools Section 9.04 states, 'Beginning in the 2008-2009 school year, for grades K-6, the district will employ at least one licensed and/or qualified physical education full-time equivalent (FTE) teacher for every 500 students. This licensed and/or qualified physical education teacher will directly supervise physical education instruction.'
An Arkansas Teacher's License in the area of physical education includes: license codes 082 Secondary Physical Education 7-12, 083 Physical Education K-12, 085 Elementary Physical Education K-6, 086 Middle School Physical Education 5-8, and Physical Education, Wellness and Leisure license codes 227 P-8, 228 7-12, 235 P-8, and 236 7-12.
A qualified physical education instructor holds an Arkansas Teacher's License with license codes 183 Elementary K-6, 184 Elementary 1-6, 185 Graduate Elementary 1-6, 001 Early Childhood P-4, or a person who holds both middle school license codes 002 English/Language/Social Studies 4-8 and 168 Science/ Mathematics 4-8.
Other qualified physical education instructors include the following persons under the supervision of a person holding an Arkansas Teacher's License in the area of physical education as defined in the second paragraph who prepare the lesson plans:
• College graduates with a minor or major in physical education.
• Persons who hold an Associates of Arts degree with enough hours in physical education to equal a minor.
• Paraprofessionals or instructional aides with five (5) years of experience teaching physical education in elementary schools.
Beginning with the 2012 school year, all personnel teaching physical education in grades K-12 will hold a physical education license appropriate for grade levels being taught as identified in The Arkansas Department of Education Rules Governing Nutrition and Physical Activity Standards and Body Mass Index for Age Assessment Protocols in Arkansas Public Schools Section 9.06.