Cleveland Municipal School District Educating Cleveland’s Children

Renaissance Project Fostering Highly Qualified Teachers

Disclaimer Use of the term "highly qualified" should not be construed as an evaluation of the professional teaching abilities of the teacher.

The No Child Left Behind Act What is it? As one of the federal government’s most sweeping changes to education in a generation, the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, legislation which took effect in 2002, requires that all teachers meet the highly qualified standards in the core academic area(s) they teach. The act’s overall purpose is to ensure that children in every classroom enjoy the benefits of well-prepared teachers, research-based curriculum, and safe learning environments.

The No Child Left Behind Act (continued) Why do I have to do it? Research shows that a teacher’s mastery of the academic content he/she teaches is a significant factor in raising levels of student achievement. The law requires that teachers be held to the highest academic standards. What does this mean to me? All teachers who are the “teacher of record” of a core academic subject must meet the federal definition of Highly Qualified Teacher before July 1, 2006.

What Are the “Core Academic Subjects”? English Language arts Reading Science Mathematics Arts – Music – Visual arts – Dance – Drama Foreign language Government and Civics History Economics Geography

What Do I Have to Do? A teacher of one or more core academic subjects must : – Have at least a Baccalaureate Degree – Have full state certification/licensure Temporary, conditional, or substitute licenses/certificates do not meet this requirement – Have demonstrated subject matter competence in EVERY subject he/she teaches

What If I Am a Special Ed Teacher? Special educators who are the teacher of record are required to meet the same requirements as general education teachers.

How Do I Know I Have Met the Content Requirements? How Do I Know I Have Met the Content Requirements? A teacher in grades K-6 must have: – Passed the Praxis II/NTE in area of licensure and be teaching in that area – Earned a Master’s degree in Education, Curriculum and Instruction, OR Reading – Have an eight-year or permanent certificate in teaching assignment – Have National Board Certification in teaching assignment A teacher in grades 7-12 must have: – Passed the Praxis II/NTE in area of licensure and be teaching in that area – Have an academic major or the equivalent (30 semester hours) in teaching assignment – Have an eight-year or permanent certificate in teaching assignment with at least 30 semester hours in content, methods, and theory – Have National Board Certification in teaching assignment

What If I Don’t Yet Meet the Requirements? You can complete any of the methods already discussed: – Take the Praxis II/NTE in teaching area(s) – Earn a Master’s Degree or equivalent in teaching area(s) – Earn National Board Certification in teaching area(s) -OR-

What If I Don’t Yet Meet the Requirements? (continued) Use one of Ohio’s HOUSSE methods to meet the HQT requirements: – Complete 90 clock hours of district approved professional development appropriate to each teaching area(s) At least 45 hours pedagogy (teaching & methods) At least 45 hours content (subject area knowledge) By converting these hours to CEU’s, you will be able to apply them licensure renewal requirements – Score at least 100 points on the HQT rubric

Points to Remember… A teacher of record must meet the HQT requirements in EVERY subject he/she teaches. – If you provide instruction in multiple subjects, it is possible to meet the HQT definition in one subject, but not all of them. Note that secondary Social Studies teachers are not “generalists”. Social Studies teachers must be HQT in History, Geography, Economics, and/or Government and Civics.

Points to Remember… (continued) The deadline to meet the HQT requirement is July 1, Teachers must meet the requirements on or before this date. There is no grace period!

FAQ 1 If I am a Physical Education teacher, am I required to meet the HQT definition? – Phys. Ed. teachers, library media, guidance counselors, etc. do not have to meet the HQT definition because they do not give grades in core academic subjects. There have been discussions of HQT requirements for physical education teachers that may be implemented in the future.

FAQ 2 Why do I keep hearing about being HQT in grades K-6 OR grades 7-12 when my Ohio certificate/license overlaps both of those levels? – The federal No Child Left Behind Act requires generalist knowledge for teachers in grades PreK-6, because they are providing “introductory” instruction in multiple subjects. – The act views instruction at the 7-12 level as being very content specific; Thus the specific content requirements for teachers of subjects in these grades.

FAQ 3 Then what good is my Ohio teaching certificate/license? – Meeting the HQT definition is a Federal requirement. – Your teaching certificate/license is a State requirement. – You must now meet the requirements at both the state and federal levels in order to educate children in a public school.

FAQ 4 I am certified/licensed elementary K-8/1-8, I am teaching in a grade appropriate to my licensure, and I have taken and passed the Elementary Praxis II/NTE. Am I a highly qualified teacher? – YES! By passing the Praxis II/NTE in your area of licensure, you are considered Highly Qualified in every subject in grades K-8 or 1-8.

FAQ 5 I am an Elementary certified/licensed teacher who has earned a Master’s Degree in Curriculum & Instruction. Am I a highly qualified teacher? – Yes! You are a highly qualified teacher through 6 th grade.

FAQ 6 What about 7 th and 8 th grade? – Although your state license may allow you to teach in grades 7 and 8, you would not meet the federal definition of highly qualified teacher in those grades unless you have demonstrated subject specific content knowledge in the subject(s) you are teaching.

FAQ 7 I am an Elementary certified teacher, and I have earned a Master’s Degree in Educational Administration. Am I a highly qualified teacher? – No! Only a Master’s Degree in Education, Curriculum and Instruction, or Reading would be acceptable. Coursework for an Educational Administration degree does not focus on instructional improvement; rather, it focuses on a larger study of school operations.

FAQ 8 I am a Social Studies teacher. I am certified in History, I have taken and passed the Praxis II/NTE in my subject area, and I am teaching History and Political Science. Am I a highly qualified teacher? – No! You are HQT in History, but unless you meet the content requirements for Political Science, you would not currently be considered HQT for Political Science.

FAQ 9 I am a Science teacher, certified in Biology with at least 30 semester hours in Biology and I am teaching Chemistry? Am I a highly qualified teacher? – Yes! Currently, a teacher who meets the HQT definition in an area of science can provide instruction in all areas of science.

FAQ 10 Then why can’t a History teacher teach Geography? – The No Child Left Behind Act subdivided the category of “social studies”. Social Studies teachers are not generalists, but should be providing instruction in the specific areas of History, Geography, Government and Civics, and Economics. – The act did not subdivide Science; hence a science teacher can teach any area of science. However, there have been discussions that the subdividing of science may be on the agenda for the future.

FAQ 11 I am a Special Ed teacher certified K-12, I have taken and passed the special ed Praxis II/NTE, and I am teaching in a 9 th grade, self- contained classroom. Am I a highly qualified teacher? – No! The Praxis II exam for Special Ed teachers only allows them to meet the HQT definition in grades K-6.

FAQ 12 But my Ohio Special Education license says I can teach in grades K-12… – Unfortunately, the Praxis II exam for Special Ed teachers does not include core content test questions and, therefore, does not test an educator’s subject matter competence. A special educator in grades 7-12 is required to meet same requirements as a general education high school teacher.

FAQ 13 What if I am a K-12 certified Special Education teacher and I am already HQT in grades K-6, but not in grades 7- 12? Do I need to do anything? – Because the District can transfer a teacher into any position for which they are certified, we encourage all Special Education teachers to make sure that they meet the HQT definition in at least one subject at the 7-12 level.

FAQ 14 I am in a self-contained Special Ed classroom. What do I need to do to meet the requirements? – Teachers of record in self-contained classrooms at the 7-12 level, are required to meet the HQT definition in all subject areas. For example, if you are teaching Math, Science, History, and Art, you need to meet the HQT content definition for the subjects of Math, Science, History, and Art.

How Does the Professional Development Path Apply to Teachers of Multiple Subjects? Complete SIRI or Foundations in Reading and Content Area Reading professional development courses – These courses meet your pedagogy requirements Complete Content Knowledge professional development for each subject you teach – Complete one Content Knowledge series for each subject

Let’s Choose a Path!