By Denise Jennex
Under the new Federal ESEA law, any teacher who teaches in the Core Content areas specified in the law must be highly qualified by the end of the 2005-2006 school year. Schools with Title I funded programs cannot hire new teachers for those programs who are not Highly Qualified after the beginning of the 2003-2004 school year. The Core Content areas are: English, reading, language arts, mathematics, science, foreign language, civics and government, economics, arts, history or geography. Teachers in other fields are not affected.
Experienced elementary teacher s must have a bachelor’s degree, hold a California credential (or be currently enrolled in an approved intern program for less than three years) and must meet ONE of these qualifications:
1. Have passed a validated statewide subject matter examination certified by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing. (MSAT)
2. Have obtained National Board Certification in elementary teaching.
3. Meet the requirements of the Highly Objective Uniform State Standard Evaluation
(HOUSE)
Experienced middle or high school teachers must have a bachelor’s degree, hold a California credential (or be currently enrolled in an approved intern program for less than three years) and must meet ONE of these qualifications for EVERY Core Content subject currently assigned:
1. Have passed a validated statewide subject matter examination certified by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing. (CSAT)
2. Have completed a university subject matter program approved by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing.
3. Have an undergraduate major in the subject taught.
4. Have a graduate degree in the subject taught.
5. Have coursework equivalent to an undergraduate major (36 units)
6. Have obtained National Board Certification in the subject taught.
7. Meet the requirements of the Highly Objective Uniform State Standard Evaluation
(HOUSE)
The ESEA/NCLB law allows each state to set up a system for experienced teachers to be deemed Highly Qualified
without having to take tests or additional college courses. California’s HOUSE requirement is based on determining subject matter competency through the California Standards for the Teaching Profession and the State Academic Content Standards. The rules for the HOUSE requirement are currently going through a 45-day public comment period prior to State Board of Education approval.
For more detailed information please refer to www.NEA.org