Quarterly Reports
GRANITE STATE COLLEGE
Office of Education Programs
Quarterly Education Update to GSC Community
February 8, 2008
Introduction
This is the first of a Quarterly Education Information Update to the Granite State College Community from the Office of Education Programs. The purpose of this handout is to update current GSC students on matters regarding education in New Hampshire. This may include new information from the U.S. Department of Education, the New Hampshire Department of Education, and/or updates from GSC. The discussion focus for this quarter is the Highly Qualified Teacher (HQT) Requirement. As a follow-up to this handout, there will be an Education Update Information Session on February 12, 2008 at 4:00 pm. This session will be available as a face-to-face session at the GSC Regional Concord Center, 8 Old Suncook Road, Concord, NH, or available at your home computer via Horizon Wimba. Instructions to access Horizon Wimba are available on this blog. Focus of Quarterly Update(2/8/0 
and Information Session (2/12/08): What does the Highly Qualified Teacher Requirement mean to GSC undergraduate students who are interested in pursuing teacher certification at the post baccalaureate level?
HIGHLY QUALIFIED TEACHER REQUIREMENT: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
(The information given below has been taken from the AFT NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND: HIGHLY QUALIFIED TEACHER REQUIREMENTS (http://www.aft.org/ ), and the New Hampshire Department of Education Memo #15, January 2007 (http://www.ed.state.nh.us/ ). The full text of each document is available on http://www.aft.org/ and http://www.ed.state.nh.us/ )
1. What is the definition of “Highly Qualified” Teacher?
Any public elementary school or secondary school teacher who teaches cores academic subjects must have:
a. Obtained the full state certification as teacher or passed the state teacher licensing exam
b. Hold a license to teach in a state; and
c. Not had certification or licensure requirements waived on an emergency, temporary or provisional basis.
2. What does HQT mean for elementary school teachers who are new to the profession?
a. Must hold at least a bachelor’s degree; and
b. Must demonstrate subject knowledge and teaching skills in reading, writing, mathematics and other areas of the basic elementary school curriculum by passing a rigorous state test.
3. What does HQT mean for middle and high school teachers who are new to the profession?
a. Must demonstrate a high level of competency in each of the academic subjects in which the teacher teaches by:
b. Passing subject matter test in each subject taught
c. Successful completion of an academic major, graduate degree, coursework equivalent to an undergraduate major; OR
d. Completing advanced certification or credentialing.
4. Who must meet the Highly Qualified Teacher requirements?
If you teach a class (provide direct instruction) in any of the core academic subjects defined by NCLB, then you need to meet the Highly Qualified Teacher requirements for each of the core academic classes that you teach.
5. What are core academic subjects?NCLB defines the core academic subjects as English, reading or language arts, mathematics, sciences, foreign languages, civics and government, economics, history, geography, and arts (music, art, theatre) (Source: Title IX, Definitions Section 9101(11).
6. What if I teach Special Education?
The highly qualified teacher requirements apply only to teachers providing direct instruction in core academic subjects. Special educators who do not directly instruct students in core academic subjects do not need to demonstrate subject-matter competency in those subjects.
7. What if I am a special educator who provides supports to the general education teacher?
Special educators who provide consultation to general educators in adapting curriculum, using behavioral supports, or selecting appropriate accommodations, do not need to demonstrate subject-matter competency in those subjects.
8. Must special education teachers who teach core academic subjects (provide direct instruction) be highly qualified?
Yes. NCLB requires all teachers of core academic subjects, including special education teachers, to be highly qualified. IDEA requires that all special education teachers who teach core academic subjects be highly qualified. The reauthorized IDEA adds to the requirement that in order to be highly qualified, special education teachers must hold special education certificate or be licensed as special education teachers in addition to holding a bachelor’s degree and demonstrating subject-matter competency.
9. Must special education teachers who teach multiple core academic subjects exclusively to students with disabilities be highly qualified in all subjects they teach?Yes. Special education teachers in this category, whether new to the profession or not, must be highly qualified. Special education teachers who are not new to the profession must demonstrate competence in all core subjects they teach, just as all teachers not new to the profession must do. The 2004 IDEA amendments provide that special education teachers new to the profession, who teach multiple core academic subjects and are highly qualified in mathematics, language arts, or science at the time they are hired, have two additional years after the date of hire to become highly qualified in all other academic subjects they teach.
