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Four
possible definitions. There
are four possible definitions of a "highly qualified"
teacher in the NCLB. Teachers should use the definition that
fits the level for each of their teaching assignments and their
"newness" to the profession of teaching.
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TWO LEVELS.
Each teaching assignment in a "core academic subject"
is either ELEMENTARY or MIDDLE/SECONDARY.
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1.
ELEMENTARY TEACHING ASSIGNMENTS are in grades K through 6 in
common branch subjects and in special education classes that
cover common branch subjects at the instructional level of
grades K through 6, regardless of the nominal grade of the
students.
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2.
MIDDLE/SECONDARY TEACHING ASSIGNMENTS are in grades 7 through
12; in specially designed instruction deemed equivalent to the
general curriculum in grades 7 through 12; or in the arts,
foreign languages or reading at all grade levels.
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NEWNESS TO
THE PROFESSION. Teachers are either NEW TO THE PROFESSION or NOT
NEW TO THE PROFESSION of teaching.
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1.
A teacher is NEW TO THE PROFESSION during the first year
following the effective date of the teacher's first teaching
certificate, except with respect to charter school teachers who
are not certified as permitted by section 2854(3) (a-1) of the
Education Law, for whom NEW TO THE PROFESSION is defined as the
first year following the date upon which the teacher meets the
applicable qualifications in section 2854(3)(a-1) of the
Education Law as determined by the charter school. First
teaching certificates may be from any state or other
jurisdiction.
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2.
A teacher is NOT NEW TO THE PROFESSION after the first year
following the effective date of a teacher's first teaching
certificate, except with respect to charter school teachers who
are not certified as permitted by section 2854(3) (a-1) of the
Education Law, for whom NOT NEW TO THE PROFESSION is defined as
after the first year following the date upon which the teacher
meets the applicable qualifications in section 2854(3)(a-1) of
the Education Law as determined by the charter school.
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Four
definitions. There
are four definitions of "highly qualified." They are
provided below and summarized in Appendix A.
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1.
Teachers with ELEMENTARY teaching assignments who are NEW
TO THE PROFESSION are "highly qualified" if they:
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have a
bachelor's or higher degree; and
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have a NYS
certificate* for their teaching assignments, with limited
exceptions for |
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certain
charter school teachers; and
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demonstrate
subject knowledge and teaching skills by passing two New
York State Teacher Certification Examinations -- the Liberal
Arts and Sciences Test (LAST) and the Assessment of Teaching
Skills-Written (A TS-W) - except that teachers in approved
Alternative Teacher Certification Programs are not required
to pass the ATS-W to be "highly qualified" while
they are enrolled in their programs.
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*AII
credentials are acceptable except modified temporary
licenses and internship certificates held by individuals who
have not passed the LAST and ATS-W.
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2.
Teachers with ELEMENTARY teaching assignments who are NOT
NEW TO THE PROFESSION are "highly qualified" if
they meet the qualifications in Definition 1 but they have two
additional options for demonstrating their subject knowledge and
teaching skills:
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passing
comparable examinations identified in Item C4 of NCLB NYS
Field Memo #09-2003; or
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passing the
high objective uniform State standard of evaluation
(HOUSSE), explained
in NCLB NYS Field Memo #05-2003.
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See NCLB NYS
Field Memos at http://www.hiqhered.nvsed.qov/nclbhome.htm.
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3.
Teachers with MIDDLE/SECONDARY teaching assignments who
are NEW TO THE PROFESSION are "highly
qualified" if they:
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have a
bachelor's or higher degree; and
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have a New
York State certificate* for their teaching assignments, with
limited
exceptions for certain charter school teachers; and
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demonstrate
subject matter competency for the "core academic
subjects" they teach
with one of the following: |
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-passing a
New York State Teacher Certification Examination (NYSTCE)
Content Specialty Test (CST) in the subjects; or |
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-successfully
completing an undergraduate major in the subjects; |
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-successfully
completing coursework equivalent to a major (30 credits)
in the subjects; or |
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-having a
New York State permanent or professional certificate in
the subjects; or |
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-having a
graduate degree in the subjects. |
*AII
credentials are acceptable except modified temporary licenses
and internship certificates held by individuals who have not
passed applicable Content Specialty Tests.
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4.
Teachers with MIDDLE/SECONDARY teaching assignments who
are NOT NEW TO THE PROFESSION are "highly
qualified" if they meet the qualifications in Definition 3
but they have two additional options for demonstrating their
subject matter competency:
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passing
comparable examinations identified in Item C6 of NCLB NYS
Field Memo #09-2003; or |
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passing the
high objective uniform State standard of evaluation
(HOUSSE), explained
in NCLB NYS Field Memo #05-2003. |
See NCLB NYS
Field Memos at http://www.hiqhered.nvsed.gov/nclbhome.htm.
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Teachers
in charter schools. To
meet the NCLB definition of "highly qualified," all
charter school teachers of "core academic subjects,"
including those teachers retained in accordance with the
"thirty/five exception" under section 2854(3) (a-1) of
the Education Law, must (1) have at least a bachelor's degree;
and (2) meet the applicable subject matter competency
requirements. Charter school teachers who are not retained in
accordance with the "thirty/five exception" must also
be certified for their teaching assignments in "core
academic subjects."
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Incidental
teaching and middle schools with approved experiments in
organizational change. Teachers
with a current credential other than a modified temporary
license whose teaching assignments are either approved as
"incidental teaching" under section 80-5.3 of the
Commissioner's Regulations or covered by an approved experiment
in organizational change under section 80-5.12 of the
Commissioner's Regulations are deemed to be certified for those
assignments.
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