The Arkansas Professional Educator Pathway (ArPEP, formerly known as APPEL) Program is an affordable two-year, work-based training, alternative preparation route to obtaining an Arkansas standard teaching license for college graduates or career changers holding at least a bachelor’s degree. ArPEP’s goal is to prepare day one ready teachers to meet the growing demand of the teacher pipeline in Arkansas. The primary objective of ArPEP is to train future educators on how to build classroom communities, design effective lesson plans, implement evidence-based instructional strategies, and use assessments to facilitate student learning.

The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education is pleased to announce that we are accepting applications for an ArPEP Late Summer Cohort which will begin September 6, 2025.  All applications are due by August 31, 2025, at 4:30pm.  The application process and other requirements can be found on the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s website.  Please note that there will be two in-person, Saturday sessions on September 6th and 20th held in Little Rock, Arkansas. For more details, click the link below to speak with a site facilitator.

ArPEP Site Information and Site Facilitators