Highly Qualified Teachers

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NCLB specifies three basic requirements that public school teachers must meet to be highly qualified. First, teachers must hold a minimum of a bachelor’s degree from a college or university. Second, teachers must have full state teacher certification or licensure for the area in which they teach. Third, teachers must be able to demonstrate subject matter competency in the core academic subjects in which they teach. Teachers can demonstrate subject matter competency by passing a state-administered test in each of the core subjects they teach. The structure and content of these tests are determined by the individual states.

Elementary School Teachers

Elementary school teachers must hold at least a bachelor’s degree and be fully certified by the state in the area in which they teach. To demonstrate their knowledge and abilities, they also must pass a test of subject matter knowledge. For elementary school teachers, this means passing a test of subject knowledge and teaching skill in reading–language arts, writing, mathematics, and other areas of the basic elementary school curriculum.

Middle and Secondary School Teachers

Both middle school and high school teachers must meet the same NCLB highly qualified standards. Both must have at least a bachelor’s degree and be fully certified by the state in the area in which they teach. Because states may have different requirements for certification in middle school and in high school, teachers need to contact their state department of education to determine the appropriate certification requirements. To demonstrate their knowledge and abilities, they also must pass a state-administered test of subject matter knowledge. For middle and high school teachers, this means passing a test in each academic subject in which they teach. If a middle school or secondary school teacher provides instruction in more than one core academic subject, then he or she must be qualified in each area.

Special Education Teachers

According to IDEA 2004, special education teachers must meet the same highly qualified standards as general education teachers. This is true for special education teachers who are new to the profession and experienced special education teachers. Special education teachers must meet three general requirements to meet the highly qualified standard of NCLB. First, all special education teachers must have a bachelor’s degree. Second, special education teachers must have obtained a full state certification as a special education teacher or passed the state special education teacher licensing examination and hold a state license to teach as a special education teacher. This includes certification obtained through state-approved alternative routes to certification. States cannot waive special education certification or licensure requirements on an emergency, temporary, or provisional basis. Third, special education teachers who teach in elementary schools, middle schools, and high schools must pass a state-administered test of subject knowledge and teaching skill to demonstrate competency in the core academic subjects.