Highly Qualified Teachers

Highly Qualified Teachers Presented By: Richard Lawrence, Executive Director Office of Title II, Title III and System Improvement Federal Programs Directors Conference October 12, 2011 Embassy Suites, Charleston, wV West Virginia Department of Education Division of Educator Quality and System support

Monitoring Indicator Has the LEA ensured all teachers, in schools supported with Title I funding, hired after the first day of school in 2002, or in any school hired with Title II funding are highly qualified? Title I, Section 1119(a)(2) Title II, Section 2122(b)(10)

Policy 5202Licensure of Professional/Paraprofessional Personnel §126-136-4. Definitions • 4.21. Core Academic Subjects. – The core academic subjects are English, reading or language arts, mathematics, sciences, world languages, civics and governments, economics, arts, history and geography as identified in the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, hereinafter NCLB. • 4.59. Shortage Area. – An endorsement area identified by the county superintendent as one in which the county does not have fully certified applicants for a position.

Policy 5202Licensure of Professional/Paraprofessional Personnel §126-136.5. Categories of Licenses • Professional Certificate • Alternative Teaching Certificate -may only be issued in teaching specializations • Temporary Certificate- meets requirements for a professional certificate but lacks assessment (Praxis) • Permit-may be issued to an individual who does not meet the requirements for the Professional Education Certificate, but who has been determined by the county superintendent to be the most qualified applicant for the position

Policy 5202Licensure of Professional/Paraprofessional Personnel §126-136-8. Highly Qualified Teacher • A WV public school teacher is considered highly qualified if s/he: • has a bachelor’s degree or higher; AND • meets state certification requirements, including those certified through a WVBE-approved alternative route to certification program, with an endorsement(s) in the core academic subject(s) being taught; AND • demonstrates subject matter competency

Policy 5202Licensure of Professional/Paraprofessional Personnel • Title I reading teacher is considered highly qualified if s/he holds certification in elementary education or multi-subjects. • For state certification as a Title I reading teacher, the WVBE requires a • master’s degree in reading specialist, • completion of a graduate level reading specialist program, • a reading authorization, or • completion of a reading endorsement program. The reading endorsement can be granted only to individuals who hold a professional teaching certificate and shall reflect those grade levels that appear on the individual’s professional teaching certificate.

Policy 5202Licensure of Professional/Paraprofessional Personnel • A special education teacher who is responsible for providing instruction and course credit for any course included in the NCLB defined core academic subject areas for students with exceptionalities must • hold a minimum of a bachelor’s degree, • meet state certification requirements with the appropriate endorsement in special education, and • demonstrate subject matter competency in order to be considered highly qualified.

SEA Monitoring of this Indicator Action by SEA Chart depicting personnel information • Review all WVEIS reports to determine if any teachers in a Title I school are not highly qualified

SEA Monitoring of this Indicator • For any individual not deemed to be certified and/or highly qualified, the district will be asked to produce further evidence if this individual is in fact highly qualified. • For individuals who have been hired and placed on a permit, the district will have to produce documentation that the individual has been determined by the county superintendent to be the most qualified applicant for the position.

Corrective Action A finding will be issued to any district found to be non compliant and a corrective action will be specified.

Monitoring Indicator Has the LEA met the state goal for percentage of core classes taught by highly qualified teachers? Title II, Part A, Section 2122(b)(10), and Section 2141(a)

SEA Monitoring of this Indicator • For individuals determined not highly qualified by the SEA, the district will be asked if they can produce evidence showing this individual is in fact highly qualified. • For individuals who have been hired but not highly qualified, the district must produce documentation how the individual hired was determined to be the most qualified applicant for the position.

Corrective Action A finding will be issued to any district found to be non compliant and a corrective action will be specified.

Monitoring Indicators Has the LEA developed and implemented a plan to ensure all teachers teaching core subjects within the LEA are highly qualified? NCLB Title I, Section 1119(a)(3) Title II, Section 2122(b)(10)

SEA Monitoring of this Indicator • Monitor the LEA’s process for developing a HQT Plan. See handout. • Monitor the LEA’s HQT Plan. See handout.

SEA Monitoring of this Indicator • A finding will be issued to any district found to be non compliant and the corrective action will be the completion and implementation of a plan. Tuition reimbursement alone is not a plan for ensuring that all students are served with a highly qualified teacher.

Monitoring Indicator Has the LEA utilized Title I Funds (5% set-aside) to assist teachers in becoming highly qualified? NCLB Title I, Section 1119(h)(i)

SEA Monitoring of this Indicator • Review of tuition reimbursement procedures • Review the funding source and the amount of funding spent to support ensuring teachers are highly qualified • Review the projected amount of funding to be utilized for tuition reimbursement during the current fiscal year

Monitoring Indicator Has the LEA, if identified for improvement, or if under the state performance target for highly qualified teachers, utilized Title II funds to ensure that all students are taught by teachers who are highly qualified? Title II, Section 2122(b)(10)

SEA Monitoring of this Indicator • Monitor the LEA Highly Qualified Teacher Plan.

Monitoring Indicator Has the LEA ensured that all teachers paid with Title II, Part A funds for class size reduction are highly qualified? Title II §2123(a)(2)(B)

SEA Monitoring of this Indicator Action by SEA Chart depicting personnel information • Review all WVEIS reports to determine if any Class Size Reduction teachers paid with Title II funds are not highly qualified

SEA Monitoring of this Indicator • The ONLY accepted remedy (corrective action) for a finding of a non-highly qualified class size reduction teacher is for the county to pick up the salary for that teacher and for the Title II program to be reimbursed for any funds spent for this teacher prior to the finding.

Monitoring Indicator Do the LEA’s Title I parental notifications and documentation include the following documents? • Parent Right to Know • Notification to parents of students in Title I schools where students have been instructed by a non-highly qualified teacher for 4 consecutive weeks or longer • Principal’s Attestation Statement-must be made available to public upon request Title I, Section 1111 Title I, Section 1119

SEA Monitoring of this Indicator • Review of Parents Right to Know notification for each Title I school • Review of notice to parents if child has been instructed for 4 or more consecutive weeks by a non highly qualified teacher (if applicable) • Review of Principal’s Attestation Statement certifying the HQ status of the current staff in each Title I school

Contact Information Title I Jan Stanley jstanley@access.k12.wv.us Title II Richard Lawrence rlawrenc@access.k12.wv.us

Highly Qualified Teachers