NCLB 04-2004 Appendix A. New York State Definition of a "Highly Qualified" Teacher and Options for Demonstrating Subject Matter Competency in Core Academic Subjects

Appendix A. New York State Definition of a "Highly Qualified" Teacher and Options for Demonstrating Subject Matter Competency in Core Academic Subjects

In New York State, a "highly qualified" teacher: (1) has a bachelor’s or higher degree; and (2) is certified (except for certain charter school teachers) for the subjects the teacher is teaching (or doing permissible "incidental teaching" or teaching in an approved experiment in organizational change); and (3) has demonstrated subject matter competency in all core academic subjects the teacher is teaching. The options for demonstrating subject matter competency are shown below.

Teachers listed on the left must meet only ONE of the checked options for their cohort.	Options for Demonstrating Subject Matter Competency in Core Academic Subjects
	Successful completion of the appropriate exam(s) in the appropriate subjects	Successful completion of an academic major in the appropriate subjects	Successful completion of coursework equivalent to an academic major (30 credits) in the appropriate subjects	Successful completion of a graduate degree in the appropriate subjects	Possession of a New York State permanent or professional certificate in the appropriate subjects	The New York State high objective uniform State standard of evaluation (HOUSSE)
Teachers of common branch and special education classes with instructional content in Grades K through 6
First year of first certification	X
After first year of first certification	X					X
Teachers of core academic subjects with instructional content in Grades 7 through 12 All teachers of foreign languages, the arts and reading
First year of first certification	X	X	X	X	X
After first year of first certification	X	X	X	X	X	X

Core academic subjects
English, reading or language arts, mathematics, science, foreign languages, civics and government, economics, arts, history and geography.

Appropriate exams
For teachers of common branch and special education with instructional content in Grades K through 6: the Liberal Arts and Sciences Test (LAST) for subject knowledge and the Assessment of Teaching Skills-Written (ATS-W) for teaching skills (except for teachers enrolled in alternative teacher certification programs)

For teachers of core academic subjects with instructional content in Grades 7 through 12 and all teachers of foreign languages, the arts and reading: Content Specialty Tests (CSTs) in the subjects taught

For teachers beyond the first year of certification: the exams listed above, or other exams in the subjects taught that were accepted by SED at the time they were certified

HOUSSE
An evaluation conducted locally on or after August 1, 2003, as part of either (1) a pre-employment review or (2) an Annual Professional Performance Review, that enables teachers beyond the first year of their first teaching certificate to demonstrate subject matter competency in all core academic subjects they teach based on objective, coherent information acceptable to the Commissioner.

No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB)