Course Code Management Changes 2027-2028
The Division of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and Division of Career and Technical Education (DCTE) course code changes have been identified for the 2027-2028 school year.
The SY27-28 Course Code Updates spreadsheet capturing the changes to be made to the Course Code Management System (CCMS) may be found on the Course Approvals web page under “Related Links.” Districts/schools should compare their master schedules with the changes found in the spreadsheet. Courses will be updated in the CCMS by June 15, 2027.
Course Catalog 2027-2028
The DESE annually releases the DESE Course Catalog as an official publication by the Office of Learning Services to inform all stakeholders of approved courses. Local communities, school districts, and open-enrollment public charter schools are encouraged to use the catalog in consultation with students and families to select challenging academic courses and to make informed decisions. DESE Course Catalog updates may include newly introduced courses, modifications to existing courses, or other adjustments.
The DESE Course Catalog is designed to inform stakeholders of the options available to students with regards to graduation pathways. Districts are encouraged to reference the catalog when developing Student Success Plans in partnership with parents and/or guardians and students. Please refer to the DCTE Programs of Study for additional information around career and technical pathways.
This information is intended to support districts as they develop their Master Schedules and inform families regarding AR Graduation Requirements.
Summary of Course Code Changes
There are many changes in the CCMS and course code listings this year. There are course deletions, additions, and multiple courses with changes such as corrections made to the name, licensure codes, grade band, state graduation requirement, credit, and/or class size. Changes are detailed below for your convenience:
Accelerated Learning / Weighted Credit
For students in the 2027-2028 Grade 9 cohort and thereafter, accelerated learning courses shall receive a 6.0 GPA weight. Accelerated learning coursework includes Advanced Placement (AP®), International Baccalaureate (IB®) Diploma Programme, Cambridge International Advanced, Concurrent Credit, and other substantively similar courses approved by DESE.
During the transition to the 6.0 weighting scale, students enrolled in the same accelerated learning course may receive different GPA weights based on their graduation cohort. As a result, designated courses will display 5.0 and 6.0 GPA weights within the Course Code Management System (CCMS). For students prior to the 2027-28 cohort, this course is weighted on the 5.0 scale.
Weighted credit is not retroactive.
Beginning in the 2027-2028 school year, designated courses taken for high school credit by students below grade 9 shall receive a 5.0 GPA weight. Affected courses will display 4.0 and 5.0 GPA weights within CCMS.
Weighted credit is not retroactive.
For additional information, refer to the Accelerated Learning Guide, or contact Krystal Nail at krystal.nail@ade.arkansas.gov.
Cambridge International
Cambridge International course codes have been added to CCMS to support schools that are beginning the implementation of Cambridge International programs.
AR Required High School Courses
Districts are required to offer distinct courses to students in grades 9-12. The DESE and the State Board of Education (SBE) have provided flexibility in the AR Required High School Courses to ensure that districts are able to offer and teach viable courses to their students. Courses that can be used to fulfill AR graduation requirements can be found here in the Arkansas Graduation Course Code List.
Districts are to offer accelerated course offerings in the four content areas of math, science, ELA, and social studies. Accelerated courses could include Advanced Placement (AP), Cambridge AICE, International Baccalaureate (IB), Concurrent Credit, and/ or a substantively similar course or program approved by DESE.
Career and Technical Education (CTE)
CTE course changes for the 2027-2028 school are reflective of the Pathway Revisions that were shared in the Spring of 2025. Please review the pathways you offer to ensure you have the appropriate course code and course name for each level.
The DCTE website serves as a resource for the updated career cluster framework, durable skills, course standards, pathway charts, Secondary Career Center Guide, and pathway continuation courses. More information on Success Ready Pathways can be found here and a full listing of available pathways can be found here.
Additional Information
This Commissioner's Memo will be updated as needed. Please contact Sarah Goodwin, at Sarah.Goodwin@ade.arkansas.gov with any questions regarding course codes.
*Course code updates are based on current legislation, applicable rules, and accreditation requirements.