What makes an elementary teacher highly qualified

My Courses My Account. Search Submit s. Teacher Education. Navigate Topics d. Courses toward Becoming a Highly Qualified Teacher Confidently check the "yes" box on your teaching application next to highly qualified teacher! For instance, 8th grade algebra teachers must have the same requisite skills and knowledge whether they teach in elementary schools or middles schools. Yes, in a state that issues middle level certification, teachers holding such a certificate would be considered highly qualified if they hold a bachelor's degree and either pass a rigorous state-approved test of their knowledge in each of the core academic subjects they will teach, or complete an academic major or coursework equivalent to an academic major, or attain an advanced degree in each subject they teach, or hold certification through National Board for Professional Teaching Standards in the subject taught, or demonstrate competency in each subject they teach through their State HOUSSE procedures.

NCLB requires all teachers of core academic subjects, including special education teachers, to be highly qualified.

The reauthorized IDEA adds the requirement that in order to be highly qualified, special education teachers must hold a special education certificate or be licensed as a special education teacher in addition to holding a bachelor's degree and demonstrating subject-matter competency. The IDEA amendments provide that if a special education teacher teaches core academic subjects exclusively to students who are being assessed against alternate achievement standards, the teacher must meet the highly qualified requirements for elementary school teachers and for instruction above the elementary level have subject-matter knowledge appropriate to the level of instruction being provided.

Special education teachers in this category, whether new to the profession or not, must be highly qualified. Special education teachers who are not new to the profession must demonstrate competence in all core subjects they teach, just as all teachers not new to the profession do. States may, however, develop a multisubject HOUSSE that allows teachers to demonstrate subject-matter competency in each of the core academic subjects they teach.

The IDEA amendments provide that special education teachers new to the profession who teach multiple core academic subjects and are highly qualified in mathematics, language arts, or science at the time they are hired, have two additional years after the date of hire to become highly qualified in all other academic subjects they teach, including through use of a core academic HOUSSE.

There are many activities that special education teachers may carry out that would not, by themselves, require those teachers to be highly qualified in a particular subject matter. Special educators who do not directly instruct students in any core academic subjects or who provide only consultation to highly qualified teachers of core academic subjects in adapting curricula, using behavioral supports and interventions, or selecting appropriate accommodations do not need to demonstrate subject-matter competency in those subjects.

These special educators could also assist students with study skills or organizational skills and reinforce instruction that the child has already received from a highly qualified teacher in that core academic subject.

Paraprofessionals who provide instructional support services in a school can be a valuable resource in any school setting. No Child Left Behind sets clear guidelines for academic qualifications for individuals assisting in instruction in Title I funded programs. The law allows those teacher assistants to support instruction if they have met certain academic requirements. They must have at least an associate's degree or have completed at least two years of college, or meet a rigorous standard of demonstrating quality, through a formal state or local assessment.

However, paraprofessionals in Title I schools do not need to meet these requirements if their role does not involve instructional support. Thus, paraprofessionals who serve only as hall monitors, interpreters, or parental involvement aides do not have to meet the same academic requirements. Similarly, if an assistant working with special education students does not provide any instructional support such as one who solely provides personal care services , that person is not considered a paraprofessional under Title I, and the academic requirements do not apply.

NCLB required that paraprofessionals demonstrate competency no later than four years after the law's enactment, or January 8, On June 17, , Deputy Secretary of Education, Ray Simon announced that this deadline would be extended to the end of the school year, bringing it into conformity with the deadline by which teachers of core subjects must be highly qualified.

The states can establish a process to evaluate teacher knowledge and ability based on a HOUSSE that meets each of the following criteria:. Even after the end of the school year, States may continue to offer HOUSSE as a way of determining that individual teachers have the subject-matter competence they need to be highly qualified in each subject they teach.

More information available here. There are also a number of Colorado grants available to address teacher qualifications, including:. Rural School District Teaching Fellowship. Retaining Teachers Grant Program. Financial Incentives for Education in Rural Areas. Stipends for teachers in rural areas for alternative prep courses; concurrent enrollment, National Board, or special service provider certification. Educators must meet the new licensing requirement within their next five-year license renewal period.

Connect With Us. Financial information on schools and districts throughout Colorado. Learn more about financial transparency. Colorado Dept. See also Licensing Hours. All rights reserved. Title IX.

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