Secondary level / 7-12 certified teachers

1.  Within which core academic content areas must secondary level teachers be

NCLB "highly qualified"?

Secondary level teachers must be HQ in any or all of the 10 content areas they teach that have been identified under NCLB:

English       language arts/reading     mathematics

science       history                          geography

economics   civics and government     world languages               

                          the arts (music, art, dance and theatre)

2. Which exams are acceptable for demonstrating HQ status?

The following exams are acceptable for these areas : Praxis II content area exams, or the CONNTENT or NTE exams identified by the SDE. If a teacher has earned National Board Certification in the content area s/he teaches, that would also be acceptable for demonstrating HQ.

3. What if a teacher became certified prior to testing being required in CT?

For those teachers, an undergraduate major or graduate level degree (or its equivalent) in the content area will suffice to be NCLB "highly qualified."

4. What if a teacher holds more than one endorsement on his/her certificate, but

teaches under only one of them? 

In such cases, the teacher must demonstrate HQ for the content area s/he currently teaches. If the teacher's assignment changes, then s/he must also demonstrate HQ for the other content area(s) being taught.

5. What pertains to those teachers who don't teach any of the core academic

subjects that are on the list above?

Those teachers have no NCLB HQ requirements to meet, as long as they continue to teach only those subjects.

6. If a teacher in a high school setting can't meet the HQ requirements through

a major, an advanced degree, or testing, what other options are available?

In such a situation, the teacher would rely on the district HOUSSE process to demonstrate competence.