No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB)

What changes are made to the HOUSSE rubrics in Appendix D?

This Addendum changes Appendix D to give teachers more options for demonstrating their subject matter competency.

Appendix D-Part 1. To give “elementary” teachers, including special education teachers providing instruction at the level of grades K through 6, more options for demonstrating their subject knowledge and teaching skills, options 3 and 6 are amended.

• Option 3 is amended to enable “elementary” teachers, including special education teachers providing instruction at the level of grades K through 6, to earn an unlimited number of points for graduate study in any common branch subject, with 20 points for every 3 graduate credits.
   
• Option 6 is amended to enable “elementary” teachers, including special education teachers providing instruction at the level of grades K through 6, to earn an unlimited number of points for successful completion of professional development, with 10 points for every 5 contact hours.

Appendix D-Part 2. To give “middle/secondary” teachers, including special education teachers providing specially designed instruction deemed equivalent to the general curriculum in grades 7 through 12, additional options for demonstrating their subject matter competency in each core academic subject they teach, options 3, 4 and 5 are amended and option 12 is added.

• Option 3 is amended to enable “middle/secondary” teachers, including special education teachers providing specially designed instruction deemed equivalent to the general curriculum in grades 7 through 12, to earn an unlimited number of points for successful completion of college study in a core academic subject they teach, with 20 points for every 3 undergraduate credits and 30 points for every 3 graduate credits.
   
• Option 4 is amended to enable “middle/secondary” teachers, including special education teachers providing specially designed instruction deemed equivalent to the general curriculum in grades 7 through 12, to earn 100 points for having a license in a recognized profession that is related to the core academic subject they teach.
   
• Option 5 is amended to enable “middle/secondary” teachers, including special education teachers providing specially designed instruction equivalent to the general curriculum in grades 7 through 12, to earn 100 points for passing a federal or industry-standard exam in an occupational field related to the core academic subject they teach.
   
• A new option 12 enables “middle/secondary” teachers, including special education teachers providing specially designed instruction deemed equivalent to the general curriculum in grades 7 through 12, of multiple core academic subjects who are “highly qualified” in at least one core academic subject to earn up to 60 points for being mentored or intensively supported in a core academic subject by another teacher who is “highly qualified” in that subject. Specifically, these teachers may earn 20 points for each year in which they receive employer-based mentoring or a program of intensive support that consists of structured guidance and regular, ongoing support in an additional core academic subject from a teacher who is “highly qualified” in that subject. This new option can be used by all teachers whose certification permits them to teach multiple core academic subjects, including, but not limited to, certified teachers of students with disabilities, certified teachers in alternative education programs and teachers with middle school generalist certificates. New York’s HOUSSE must have this new option in order to comply with the flexibility requirements for rural teachers in the Secretary’s March 31, 2004 letter and the NCLB requirement that the HOUSSE be “applied uniformly” throughout the State.