Highly Qualified Teachers

Highly Qualified Teachers (HQT) are educators who meet specific criteria established by the U.S. Department of Education to ensure quality instruction in core academic subjects, which include English, mathematics, science, and more. The designation of "highly qualified" is primarily governed by the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), which mandates that teachers must possess at least a bachelor's degree in their subject area, obtain full state certification, and demonstrate subject knowledge. Research indicates that the presence of highly qualified teachers is a significant factor in enhancing student achievement, as effective teaching correlates strongly with academic performance.

The HQT initiative aims to improve teacher quality across the nation, particularly in underperforming and high-poverty schools. Various support mechanisms, such as financial incentives for transferring teachers and flexible pathways for educators to demonstrate competency, are designed to address challenges in teacher retention and certification. Additionally, the initiative acknowledges the unique contributions of minority teachers and the importance of pedagogical skills alongside subject knowledge. While there is an ongoing debate about the effectiveness and implications of the HQT standards, the overarching goal remains to provide all students with access to qualified educators who can facilitate successful learning environments.

Published in: 2021

By: Smith, Tricia

Subject Terms

Highly Qualified Teachers

The U.S. Department of Education has mandated that all teachers of core academic subjects in the classroom be "highly qualified." Through the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), there are three essential criteria for a teacher to be deemed highly qualified: attaining a bachelor's degree or higher in the subject that the teacher teaches; obtaining full state teacher certification; and demonstrating knowledge in the subject(s) taught (U.S. Department of Education, 2006). According to the U.S. Department of Education (2006), the highly qualified teacher (HQT) is one of the most important factors in student achievement. Berry, Hoke and Hirsch (2004) state, "Consensus is growing among school reformers that teaches are the most important school-related determinant of student achievement" (p. 698).

Keywords Bias; Core Academic Subjects; Demonstration of Competency; Elementary and Secondary Act of 1965; High, Objective, Uniform State Standard of Evaluation (HOUSSE); Highly qualified teachers; No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB); Out-of-Field Teaching; Retention; State Requirements; TEACHact; Title II

Overview

The U.S. Department of Education has mandated that all teachers of core academic subjects in the classroom be "highly qualified." Core academic subjects are English, reading or language arts, mathematics, science, foreign languages, civics and government, economics, arts, history, and geography. Through the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), there are three essential criteria for a teacher to be deemed highly qualified:

• Attaining a bachelor's degree or higher in the subject that the teacher teaches;

• Obtaining full state teacher certification; and

• Demonstrating knowledge in the subject(s) taught (U.S. Department of Education, 2006).

Berry, Hoke, and Hirsch (2004) state that requiring highly qualified teachers in every classroom "offers unprecedented ways to reshape teacher preparation in ways that finally produce the gains in student achievement that reformers have long sought" (p. 685).

In 2001, the Senate and House of Representatives were charged with the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. The reauthorization of this act was called the No Child Left Behind Act, keeping intact basic principles of the original act, with the addition of new regulations that identify districts and schools per state that are most in need of highly qualified teachers in Pre-K through university (Kysilka, 2003). The act was amended in 2002, to assure that "all children have a fair, equal and significant opportunity to obtain a high-quality education" (U.S. Department of Education, 2002). The TEACHact, or Teacher Excellence for All Children Act was proposed by the U.S. Representatives George Miller (D-California) and Howard McKeon (R-California) and added provisions to the current Title II of the NCLB law. Title II is specifically directed to teacher-quality issues. TEACHact provides bonuses up to $12,500 for outstanding highly qualified teachers who transfer to high-poverty and low-achieving schools and work for a minimum of four years. The act also provides similar incentives for principals who transfer, as well. Under this act, master teachers can supplement their salaries by up to $10,000 a year if they agree to mentor new teachers (Hoff, Keller, Zehr, & Klein, 2007).

According to the U.S. Department of Education (2006), a highly qualified teacher (HQT) is one of the most important factors in student achievement. Berry, Hoke and Hirsch (2004) state, "Consensus is growing among school reformers that teachers are the most important school-related determinant of student achievement" (p. 698). Teacher quality results from teaching experience; the quality of the preparation programs; the type of certification; coursework taken in preparation for the profession; and the test scores of the teacher (Thompson & Smith, 2004-2005).

The 6-Point Plan

The U.S. Department of Education monitors each state to determine if it is meeting its goals of providing highly qualified teachers in all subject-matter classrooms, including classrooms in under-performing schools and high-poverty communities (U.S. Department of Education, 2006). States must publicly report what they are doing to improve teacher quality (Berry, Hoke, & Hirsch, 2004). For those states that did not meet or show a good-faith effort of providing highly qualified teachers in every core classroom by the academic year 2006-2007, the U.S. Department of Education provided a Six-Point Protocol for a Successful Plan to meet the guidelines. The Plan includes:

• A thorough analysis of the data identifying teachers that do not meet the HQT requirements;

• Steps local districts will take to help teachers quickly attain HQT status;

• Technical assistance, programs, and resources that can be offered to achieve these goals;

• Actions that states will face if they do not attain goals;

• Alternative methods for teachers to attain HQT status; and,

• Steps to ensure that minority students and students from low-income families are not disproportionately taught by inexperienced or unqualified teachers (U.S. Department of Education, 2006).

Funding

Funds are available for those states that are in the process of meeting HQT status. These funds are as follows:

• The President's 2007 Budget, to help states meet their teacher quality requirements.

• Title I Funding, for school districts that are required to use five percent of their Title I funds for HQT progress.

• Teacher Incentive Fund, providing financial incentives to teachers for improved achievement in high-poverty schools.

• Loan Forgiveness, for up to $17,500 loan forgiveness for highly qualified math and science teachers who choose to serve low-income schools (U.S. Department of Education, 2006).

Meeting Highly Qualified Status

The U.S. Department of Education has provided areas of flexibility for those teachers applying for highly qualified teacher status. For example, The HOUSSE (High, Objective, Uniform State Standard of Evaluation) for current teachers provides for certain provisions for experienced teachers to demonstrate subject-matter competency that recognizes experience, expertise, and professional training garnered over their professional lives. They are not required to get a degree in every subject they teach to demonstrate competency. Middle school teachers also are provided by flexible rulings, as the state may approve rigorous content-area assessments to determine if a middle school teacher should be awarded HQT status. Under these flexible rulings, states may develop teacher tests for subjects and levels of knowledge needed for effective instruction. Additionally, special education teachers are not required to demonstrate content area competency if they are not providing direct instruction in core academic areas (Department of Education, 2006).

To provide further opportunities to meet HQT status, the U.S. Department of Education has expanded its areas of flexibility to include rulings for rural teachers, science teachers, and current multi-subject teachers. Rural teachers who are highly qualified in one subject area will have three years to become highly qualified in any additional subjects they teach. Science teachers can demonstrate that they are highly qualified in either a general science or in individual fields of science (such as physics, biology or chemistry). Additionally, the U.S. Department of Education also provides flexibility in allowing states to evaluate current, multi-subject teachers to demonstrate through one process that they are highly qualified in each subject area (U.S. Department of Education, 2006).

The NCLB is not without controversy. Thompson and Smith cite a 1996 report by The National Commission on Teaching and America's Future which outlines the concern that teachers need more than content knowledge to be highly qualified; in fact, the report contends that teachers need a blend of pedagogy and content to be successful teachers. Teacher candidates can be highly effective if they "develop practices that accommodate student diversity, develop the habits of reflective practitioners and gain a fuller understanding of the teacher's changing roles" (Thompson & Smith, 2005, p. 74). Berry, Hoke, and Hirsch (2004) state that all teachers should be required to know how students learn and how to manage that learning. Teachers can do this best as they learn "to manage classrooms; develop standards-based lessons; assess student work fairly and appropriately; work with special needs students and ELL; and use technology to bring curriculum to life for the many students who lack motivation" (p. 686).

Many teachers never reach the highly qualified status, as they leave the profession before they achieve this status. Retention rates for new teachers reveal that many of them will quit within five years. Scherer (2005) outlines ways to retain new teachers. Scherer suggests that individual schools must create a positive teaching culture, providing strong leadership, professional development, good facilities, and resources in order to retain novice teachers. Providing this collegial atmosphere improves working conditions, resulting in improved retention of teachers so that they can achieve the highly qualified teacher status required of all states. School systems can also hire highly effective teachers if they prepare in certain ways, by hiring early before other systems and providing adequate teacher compensation.

Ingersoll (2005) states, "Few educational problems have received more attention than has the failure to ensure that the nation's classrooms are staffed by highly qualified teachers" (p. 105). Despite the controversy surrounding the No Child Left Behind Act, statistics show that states are indeed making the effort to improve student learning by providing all children with highly qualified teachers.

Applications

Paraprofessional Requirements

Paraprofessionals are required to meet the highly qualified mantra of the NCLB Act, for those who were hired after January 2002. They must have "two years of higher education, an associate's degree, or meet rigorous standards in reading and math" (Kysilka, 2003, p. 102).

Special Education Requirements

Special Education teachers must meet requirements for highly qualified teachers by becoming certified in Special Education or passing their state's special education licensure exams. They must hold a bachelor's degree and demonstrate knowledge of each subject for which they are the primary teachers; they are allowed extra time to meet content area standards in a second subject ("Special Education," 2004).

Variance by State

The number of highly qualified teachers within content classrooms varies significantly from state to state, as states work to achieve NCLB requirements. Reports from 2004 reveal that those states with the highest number of highly qualified teachers within the content classrooms are: Wisconsin, Idaho, Arkansas, Connecticut, Minnesota, Indiana, Massachusetts, Utah, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Kentucky and Wyoming. Alaska held the lowest number of highly qualified teachers in 2004 ("Special Education," 2004).

Components Necessary for Providing Strong Human Resources in

the World Marketplace

Jusuf (2002) outlines components for "producing human resources with high quality," that provides a global perspective (p. 33). Gleaned from the 2003 California Master Plan for Education, Jusuf states that these components should be provided to all students enrolled in public schools throughout the world:

• Qualified and inspiring teachers in the classroom.

• A rigorous curriculum that will prepare all students for success in post-secondary education, work and society.

• Current textbooks, technology and instructional materials aligned with learning expectations.

• Adequate learning support services.

• Qualified school or campus administrators to create an educational culture that is inviting and safe and that places a high value on student achievement and teaching excellence.

• A physical learning environment that is safe, well-equipped and well-maintained (Jusuf , 2002, p. 34).

Benefits of Minority Teachers

Brown and Borman (2005) suggest that the benefits of supplying minority teachers in low-income, low-performing schools outweighs benefits of those teachers who are considered highly qualified but are not minority teachers. The benefits are:

• Minority teachers from non-dominant cultures understand how to help students construct the bridge that links both world views as they are also participants in both worlds.

• They possess mainstream cultural norms that diverse students need to be successful (autonomy, self-reliance and individualism).

• They know about immigrant and indigenous groups and accept students who are a part of these groups.

• They provide students with role models who possess the same linguistic features as their students and may allow their students to use their home language in the classroom (p. 112).

Vocational Education Teachers

Vocational Education teachers are not content area teachers and are not bound by the NCLB Highly Qualified Teacher regulations. However, if a Vocational Education teacher teaches a course (such as applied physics) that counts toward core academic courses, then that teacher is held to the HQT standards ("Vocational Education Teachers," 2003).

Viewpoints

Alternative Routes

Alternative routes to Highly Qualified Teacher status are controversial in that a teacher who is making adequate progress toward full certification or are novice teachers are considered in the same category as the HQT. According to Berry, Hoke and Hirsch (2004), teachers during this progression period should be determined as minimally qualified instead of highly qualified (p. 686).

Out-of-Field Teaching

Out-of-field teaching occurs due to teacher shortages or the number of teachers available in any given subject area. Ingersoll (2003) suggests that out-of-field teaching is a detriment to providing highly qualified teachers in the classroom. When teachers teach out-of-field, they are assigned "to teach subjects that do not match their training or education" (p. 175). As Ingersoll states, highly qualified teachers who teach out of their field of expertise can quickly become "highly unqualified teachers if they are assigned to teach subjects for which they have little background or preparation" (p. 175).

Link Between Teacher Excellence & Student Achievement

Perkins-Gough (2002) suggest that teacher excellence and student achievement are inherently linked. The U.S. Department of Education's report "Meeting the Highly Qualified Teachers Challenge" (2003) outlines this link:

• Teachers' verbal and cognitive skill levels are important determinants in student success, particularly at the elementary school level.

• Subject-matter background has a positive effect on student performance. If teachers major in the subject they teach, they have better results than out-of-field teachers.

• Teachers who spend more time on developing pedagogy (resulting in Education degrees) are less likely to impact student performance than those who spend more time studying content.

• Students enrolled in schools of education are less accomplished than other university students, as education students have not been exposed to the intellectual rigor of content degree programs (U.S. Department of Education, 2003).

Importance of Training in Pedagogy

The Educational Testing Service states that developing pedagogical skills and social abilities is more important than content area knowledge in developing strong teachers (Perkins-Gough, 2002). The ETS suggests that highly qualified teachers possess:

• Skills in designing learning experiences that inspire and interest children.

• Enthusiasm for the job.

• A caring attitude to students.

• A thorough understanding of the subject.

• Several years of experience as a classroom teacher.

• An advanced degree from a good school of education.

• Involvement with parents (p. 85).

Teacher Deficit Perspective

Ingersoll (2005) states that the problem of under-qualified teachers is largely one of perceived shortcomings in the teachers themselves. These include weaknesses in preparation, lack of knowledge, lack of motivation, or weak pedagogical abilities. Rather than looking at teacher deficits, school systems should review their own contributing factors in responding to these criticisms. They should consider problems with working conditions, recruitment and retention. Ingersoll (2005) contends that the real problem is in the low stature and social standing that the teaching profession must face in today's society.

Bias in Teacher Testing

Brown and Borman (2005) assert that the non-traditional teacher is discriminated against through bias in teacher testing. Bias in testing can stem from a number of sources:

• The cultural content embedded in any given test.

• The linguistic demands inherent in any given test.

• Lack of representation within norm samples for individuals with diverse backgrounds in any given test.

• A belief that language reduced tests alone are sufficient to overcome bias and communication barriers (p. 109).

Terms & Concepts

Bias: Hambleton and Rogers (1995) define bias as "the presence of some characteristics of an item that results in differential performance for individuals of the same ability but from different ethnic, sex, cultural or religious groups" (p. 2).

State Requirements: The No Child Left Behind Act requires states to:

• measure the extent to which all students have highly qualified teachers, particularly minority and disadvantaged students;

• adopt goals and plans to ensure all teachers are highly qualified and,

• publicly report plans and progress in meeting teacher quality goals (U.S. Department of Education, 2006).

Demonstration of Competency: Middle and high school teachers must prove that they know the subject they teach with:

• a major in the subject they teach;

• credits equivalent to a major in the subject;

• passing a state-developed test in the content area;

• HOUSSE for current teachers only;

• an advanced certification from the state; or

• a graduate degree (U.S. Department of Education, 2006).

High, Objective, Uniform State Standard of Evaluation (HOUSSE): For current teachers, states are permitted to develop additional ways to demonstrate subject-matter competency and meet HQT requirements. Competency can be awarded through a combination of teaching experience, professional development and knowledge of the subject area through a period of time (U.S. Department of Education, 2006).

Collegial Atmosphere: A collegial atmosphere exists in a school when the school invites novice teachers to ask questions, suggest new ideas, and allow observations of teachers whose work they respect (Scherer, 2005).

Out-of-Field Teaching: Out-of-field teaching occurs when teachers are assigned to teach subjects that do not match their training or education. Out-of-field teaching occurs due to teacher shortages or the number of teachers available in any given subject area.

Retention Rates: Retention rates are the percentages of teachers who stay within the teaching profession of leave their position for another career. Retention rates for new teachers reveal that many of them will quit within five years.

Bibliography

Berry, B., Hoke, M., & Hirsch, E. (2004). The search for highly qualified teachers. Phi Delta Kappan, 85 684-689. Retrieved November 21, 2007 from EBSCO online database, Academic Search Premier: http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=13041878&site=ehost-live

Brown, J., & Borman, K. (2005). Highly qualified minority teachers: Do high- stakes teacher tests weed out those we need most? Internet Journal of Educational Policy, Research and Practice, 6, , 105-137. Retrieved November 21, 2007 from EBSCO online database, Education Research Complete: http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=18462799&site=ehost-live

Chin, E., & Wong, P. (2013). Preparing teachers: Highly qualified to do what? Editors' introduction. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 21, 1-5. Retrieved December 15, 2013, from EBSCO Online Database Education Research Complete. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=89186906&site=ehost-live

Gujarati, J. (2012). A comprehensive induction system: A key to the retention of highly qualified teachers. Educational Forum, 76, 218-223. Retrieved December 15, 2013, from EBSCO Online Database Education Research Complete. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=73888381&site=ehost-live

Hambleton, R., & Rogers, J. (1995). Item Bias Review (Report No. 19951001). East Lansing, MI. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service)

Hoff, D., Keller, B., Zehr, M., & Klein, A. (2007). Draft retains quality rules for teachers (Cover Story). Education Week, 27 , 1-23. Retrieved November 21, 2007 from EBSCO online database, Academic Search Premier: http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=26923910&site=ehost-live

Ingersoll, R. (2003). Out-of-field teaching and the limits of teacher policy. Seattle, WA: Center for the Study of Teaching Policy.

Ingersoll, R. (2005). The problem of unqualified teachers: A sociological perspective. Sociology of Education, 78, ( 2) 175-178. Retrieved November 21, 2007 from EBSCO online database Academic Search Premier: http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=17144120&site=ehost-live

Jusuf, H. (2005, January). Improving Teacher quality: A keyword for improving education facing global challenges. Turkish On-Line Journal of Education Technology, 4, 33-37. Retrieved November 21, 2007 from EBSCO Education Research Complete: http://search.ebscohostcom/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=7438146&site=ehost-live

Kysilka, M. (2003). No Child Left Behind. Curriculum and Teaching Dialogue, 5, 99-104. Retrieved November 21, 2007 from EBSCO online database, Academic Search Premier: http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=13355435&site=ehost-live

Karelitz, T. M., Fields, E., Levy, A., Martinez-Gudapakkam, A., & Jablonski, E. (2011). No teacher left unqualified: How teachers and principals respond to the highly qualified mandate. Science Educator, 20, 1-11. Retrieved December 15, 2013, from EBSCO Online Database Education Research Complete. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=65236093&site=ehost-live

Perkins-Gough, D. (2002). Teacher quality. Educational Leadership, 60 , 85. Retrieved November 21, 2007 from EBSCO online database, Academic Search Premier: http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=7386911&site=ehost-live

Scherer, M. (2005). The right new teachers. Educational Leadership, 62 , 7. Retrieved November 21, 2007 from EBSCO online database, Academic Search Premier: http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=16975039&site=ehost-live

Special education: 'Highly Qualified' teachers needed. (2004). Education Week, 24, 51. Retrieved November 21, 2007 from EBSCO online database, Academic Search Premier: http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=15319713&site=ehost-live

Thompson, S., & Smith, D. (2004 /2005). Creating highly qualified teachers for urban schools. Professional Educator, 27 (1/2), 73-88. Retrieved November 21, 2007 from EBSCO online database, Academic Search Premier: http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=17334933&site=ehost-live

U.S. Department of Education, Office of Policy Planning and Innovation. (2003). Meeting the Highly Qualified Teachers Challenge: The Secretary's Annual Report on Teacher Quality. Retrieved November 21, 2007 from http://www.ed.gov/about/reports/annual/teachprep/2003title-ii-report.pdf

U.S. Department of Education. (2006, August). Highly Qualified Teachers for Every Child. Retrieved November 21, 2007 from http://www.ed.gov/nclb/methods/teachers/stateplanfacts.pdf

U.S. Department of Education. (2002, January 8). No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. Public Law 107-110. Available at www.ncbe.gwu.edu

Voc ed teachers dodge 'highly qualified' rule. (2002). Vocational Training Newsletter, 33 , 1-3. Retrieved November 21, 2007 from EBSCO online database, Education Research Complete: http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=7438146&site=ehost-live

Highly Qualified Teachers

On this Page

Subject Terms

Highly Qualified Teachers

Overview

The 6-Point Plan

Funding

Meeting Highly Qualified Status

Applications

Paraprofessional Requirements

Special Education Requirements

Variance by State

Components Necessary for Providing Strong Human Resources in

the World Marketplace

Benefits of Minority Teachers

Vocational Education Teachers

Viewpoints

Alternative Routes

Out-of-Field Teaching

Link Between Teacher Excellence & Student Achievement

Importance of Training in Pedagogy

Teacher Deficit Perspective

Bias in Teacher Testing

Terms & Concepts

Bibliography

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