§ 6-16-604 - Optional summer program -- Testing. - Arkansas Statutes

6-16-604. Optional summer program -- Testing.

(a) (1) Students who plan to enroll in postsecondary programs in Arkansas may enroll in a state-approved intensive noncredit preparatory program during the summer following the junior year of high school.

(2) The Department of Education is also authorized to permit the enrollment in these programs of Arkansas high school graduates.

(b) (1) The length of the summer school term shall be five (5) weeks, during which time a school shall provide not less than:

(A) Twenty (20) days of instruction; and

(B) Seventy-five (75) hours of instruction.

(2) The number and location of sites for these programs are to be determined by the Department of Education.

(c) Course content guides for summer school preparatory courses shall be developed by the Department of Education with assistance from the Department of Higher Education.

(d) (1) The Department of Education may operate the noncredit preparatory programs or may contract with local school districts or institutions of higher education to operate these programs.

(2) The opportunity to participate in a noncredit preparatory program afforded to students by this subchapter shall not be interpreted as mandating the Department of Education to operate or fund noncredit preparatory programs at a cost in excess of the funds appropriated and funded in the Public School Fund for this purpose.

(e) The State Board of Education shall adopt rules and regulations for the implementation of this program, including minimum and maximum class sizes for the programs.

(f) Students who choose to do so may take a placement test which has been approved by the state board and the Arkansas Higher Education Coordinating Board upon completion of their summer school studies.

(g) Students who complete the summer College Preparatory Enrichment Program successfully and who enroll in an appropriate mathematics or English course, as determined by the Department of Education and the Department of Higher Education during the senior year of high school may take the placement test designated by the Arkansas Higher Education Coordinating Board under 6-16-603(b) at no cost to the student.