University of the State of New York, State Education Department.

Office of Higher Education
Johanna Duncan-Poitier, Senior Deputy Commissioner of Education - P-16 for the Office of Elementary, Middle, Secondary, and Continuing Education and Office of Higher Education
Joseph Frey, Associate Commissioner, Office of Higher Education

OHE Homepage | Office of K-16 Initiatives and Access Programs | Office of Quality Assurance | Office of Teaching Initiatives | Office of Elementary, Middle, Secondary and Continuing Education (EMSC)

No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB)

Main

NCLB NYS
Field Memo
#05-2003

ADDENDUM August 2004

Cover Letter

Table of Contents

Introduction

Part B: Teachers Who May Want to Use the HOUSSE

Part C: New York State’s Definition of the HOUSSE

Part D: Accountability and Records

Appendix D

For More Information: nclbnys@mail.nysed.gov

Print Field Memo #05-2003add as or PDF or WORD

Appendix D
Evaluation Tool for Using Information Acceptable to the Commissioner of Education for the HOUSSE

Appendix D -- Part 1
For teachers of common branch classes in grades pre-K through 6
and special education classes with grades pre-K through 6 instructional content

Teachers of the above classes who are beyond the first year of their first certification and who have not passed both the New York State Teacher Certification Examination ( NYSTCE) Liberal Arts and Sciences Test (LAST) and the NYSTCE Assessment of Teaching Skills – Written (ATS-W) -- or comparable tests accepted by SED when they were certified -- may demonstrate their subject matter competency and teaching skills using a “high objective uniform State standard of evaluation” (HOUSSE).
To use the HOUSSE to demonstrate subject matter competency and teaching skills, teachers described above must earn at least 100 points as part of either (1) a pre-employment review or (2) an Annual Professional Performance Review conducted after August 1, 2003. Points may be earned on every line below. Please refer to Part 3 for definitions.

#	Coherent, objective information	POINTS EARNED
EDUCATION AND CREDENTIALS
1	Successful completion of (a) a bachelor’s degree program with a general education component or (b) the Liberal Arts and Sciences Test (LAST). (30 points)
2	Successful completion of a State-approved program leading to a common branch or special education certificate or successful completion of a State transcript review or individual evaluation leading to a common branch or special education certificate or possession of an extension to teach common branch classes on a 7–12 subject matter certificate. (30 points)
3*	Successful completion of a State-approved graduate program or 30 graduate credits in elementary education, special education, reading, math or other common branch subjects (30 points) or graduate credit in those subjects (20 points for every 3 graduate credits).
4	Certification by the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards in elementary education or special education. (100 points)
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE AND DEVELOPMENT
5*	Teaching experience in common branch or special education classes. (Up to 50 points, 10 points per year, 15 points per year after school year 1998-1999)
6	Successful completion of professional development, pursuant to an employer’s professional development plan, that is aligned with the Regents learning standards. (10 points for every 5 contact hours)
7	Supervision of a student teacher in a State-approved program leading to elementary or special education certification. (30 points)
8	Professional service in elementary or special education. (Up to 50 points, 10 points for each instance of professional service) .
9	A formal review of subject knowledge and teaching skills . (50 points)
* Revised August 2004 TOTAL POINTS

Appendix D -- Part 2
For teachers of core academic subjects in grades 7 through 12;
specially designed instruction deemed equivalent to the general curriculum in grades 7 through 12;
and the arts, foreign languages and reading at all grade levels

Teachers of the above classes who are beyond the first year of their first certification and who have not demonstrated their subject matter competency for each core academic subject they teach in one of the ways permitted by the NCLB may demonstrate their subject matter competency using a “high objective uniform State standard of evaluation” (HOUSSE). The other ways that teachers may demonstrate their competency in a core academic subject are: (1) passing a NYSTCE Content Specialty Test (CST) in the subjects or a comparable test accepted by SED when they were certified; (2) completing an undergraduate major in the subjects; (3) completing coursework equivalent to a major (30 credits) in the subjects; (4) completing a graduate degree in the subjects; or (5) having a NYS permanent or professional certificate in the subjects.
§ To use the HOUSSE to demonstrate subject matter competency in each core academic subject they teach, teachers described above must earn at least 100 points using this checklist as part of either (1) a pre-employment review or (2) an Annual Professional Performance Review conducted after August 1, 2003. Points may be earned on every line below. Please refer to Part 3 for definitions.

CORE ACADEMIC SUBJECT:
#	Coherent, objective information for the above subject	POINTS EARNED
EDUCATION AND CREDENTIALS
1	Successful completion of (a) a bachelor’s degree program with a general education component or (b) the Liberal Arts and Sciences Test (LAST) (30 points)
2	Successful completion of a State-approved program leading to a certificate in the subject or a State transcript review or individual evaluation leading to a certificate in the subject (30 points)
3*	Successful completion of college courses in the subject (20 points for every 3 undergraduate credits and 30 points for every 3 graduate credits)
4*	Licensure in a recognized profession that is related to the subject. (100 points)
5*	Passing a federal or industry-standard exam in an occupational field related to the subject. (100 points)
6	Certification in the subject by the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards. (100 points)
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE AND DEVELOPMENT
7	Teaching experience in the subject in grades 7-12, including specially designed instruction deemed equivalent to the general education curriculum in grades 7-12. (Up to 50 points, 10 points per year, 15 points per year after school year 1998-1999)
8	Successful completion of professional development in the subject, pursuant to an employer’s professional development plan, that is aligned with the Regents learning standards. (Up to 50 points; 10 points for every 5 contact hours)
9	Supervision of a student teacher in a State-approved program leading to certification in the subject or to certification in special education in a setting in which specially designed instruction deemed to be equivalent to the general education curriculum in grades 7 through 12 is provided. (30 points)
10	Professional service related to the subject. (Up to 50 points, 10 points for each instance of professional service.
11	Formal review of subject knowledge. (50 points)
12**	ONLY FOR TEACHERS OF MULTIPLE CORE ACADEMIC SUBJECTS WHO ARE HIGHLY QUALIFIED IN AT LEAST ONE CORE ACADEMIC SUBJECT. Mentoring or a program of intensive support that consists of structured guidance and regular, ongoing support in the subject from another teacher who is “highly qualified” in the subject. (Up to 60 points, 20 points per year)
Revised New August 2004 TOTAL POINTS*

Appendix D – Part 3

Definitions

FORMAL REVIEW

A formal review must be based on coherent, objective information about a teacher’s subject matter competency in a subject. Reviews must cover at least one of the following:

Instructional goals, objectives and plans
Instructional delivery
Student achievement
Self-assessment

Formal reviews should be conducted in accordance with local collective bargaining agreements, where applicable, but such agreements need not include such reviews.

A peer review conducted by the New York State Academy of Teaching and Learning, described at http://www.nysatl.nysed.gov, is acceptable.

GENERAL EDUCATION COMPONENT

The general education component of undergraduate programs is the coursework in the liberal arts and sciences that must be part of every State-approved bachelor's degree program in New York State under section 3.47 of the Commissioner's Regulations. For example, the liberal arts and sciences must be three-quarters of the work in Bachelor of Arts programs; one-half the work in Bachelor of Science programs; and one-quarter of the work in specialized bachelor's degree programs such as architecture.

PRE-EMPLOYMENT REVIEW

Candidates for teaching positions who are beyond their first year of certification may, with the agreement of their prospective employers, use the HOUSSE to demonstrate subject matter competency for all subjects they would be assigned to teach if they were hired.

PROFESSIONAL SERVICE

Examples of instances of professional service that would demonstrate a teacher’s subject matter competency, and be counted as 10 points for each example, include:

Providing district-approved professional development about the core subjects
Providing mentoring to another teacher of the core subjects
Giving presentations at professional meetings about the core subjects
Developing curriculum in the core subjects
Publishing in professional publications (journals, chapters, books) about the core subjects
In the case of special education teachers:

Providing consultation services to general education teachers about teaching the general curriculum to students with disabilities
Providing special education services to students with disabilities in core academic subject areas
Providing services to nondisabled students in general education classes under the “incidental benefits” provisions of the IDEA
Providing supplemental instruction to students with disabilities related to a core subject area

Other comparable services may also be used.
Service can address either (1) the core academic subject itself or (2) strategies for teaching the core academic subject.

RECOGNIZED PROFESSIONS OR FEDERAL OR INDUSTRY-STANDARD EXAMS
IN AN OCCUPATIONAL FIELD RELATED TO THE SUBJECT
Career and Technical Education teachers would be most likely to use this type of information. LEAs and BOCES may use their best judgment to decide whether professional licensure and occupational exams are related to core academic subjects. See http://www.op.nysed.gov for a list of professions licensed by the Board of Regents.

http://www.highered.nysed.gov/nclb05-2003apdd.htm