Contact: Bridget Curran
Education Division
Demonstrating competency
Teachers can demonstrate competency by (a) passing a rigorous state subject matter test, (b) in the case of a secondary teacher, completing a major, graduate degree or coursework equivalent to an academic major, or advanced certification or credentialing, or (c) using the high, objective, uniform state standard of evaluation (HOUSSE).
Requirements for new elementary school teachers
To meet the requirements, new teachers at the elementary level must:
hold at least a bachelor's degree;
be licensed by the State; and
demonstrate, by passing a rigorous State test, subject knowledge and teaching skills in reading, writing, mathematics, and other areas of the basic elementary curriculum
The SEA must identify and approve specific tests. Tests may be certification or licensing test in reading, writing, math, and other areas of the basic elementary school curriculum. The content of the test should be rigorous and objective and have a high, objective, uniform standard that the candidate is expected to meet or exceed. This standard must be applied to each candidate in the same way.
Requirements for new middle and high school teachers
To meet the requirements, new teachers at the middle or high school levels must:
hold at least a bachelor's degree;
be licensed by the State; and
demonstrate subject knowledge in each core subject the teacher teaches by completing a major, graduate degree, coursework equivalent to a major, or advanced certification, or by passing a rigorous assessment.
The SEA must identify and approve specific tests. Tests may be certification or licensing test in each of the core subjects in which the teacher teaches. The content of the test should be rigorous and objective and have a high, objective, uniform standard that the candidate is expected to meet or exceed. This standard must be applied to each candidate in the same way.
HOUSSE procedures
States many develop procedures for current teachers to demonstrate competency on the basis of a high, objective, uniform state standard of evaluation (HOUSSE). These procedures must:
Address both grade-appropriate academic subject matter knowledge and teaching skills;
Cover state academic content and student academic achievement standards;
Provide objective, coherent information about the teacher's attainment of content knowledge;
Be applied uniformly;
Consider (but not be based primarily on) the time the teacher has been teaching in the academic subject; and
Be made available to the public upon request.
HOUSSE procedures may involve multiple measures of teacher competency.
Other HOUSSE considerations
States should also consider the following factors when developing HOUSSE procedures.
Do the proposed HOUSSE measures provide an "objective" way of determining whether a teacher has adequate subject-matter knowledge?
Is there a strong and compelling rationale for each part of the HOUSSE procedures?
Do the procedures take into account, but not primarily rely on, previous teaching experience?
Does the plan provide solid evidence that the teacher has mastered the necessary subject-matter content (experience and association with content-focused groups do not necessarily translate into an objective measure of content knowledge)?
Has the state consulted with core content specialists, teachers, principals, and school administrators?
Does the state plan to widely distribute its HOUSSE procedures and are they presented in an understandable format?
Demonstrating competency in subfields (for instance, physics or biology)
Content knowledge in one subfield does not necessarily mean that a teacher has demonstrated competency in another subfield. For instance, a teacher who majored in biology has not, on that basis alone, demonstrated competency in physics.
Definition of "full state certification"
Full state certification is defined by state policy. It cannot mean that the teacher has had certification of licensure waived on an emergency basis. A state could determine that an individual is fully certified if the candidate passes a rigorous subject matter assessment.
Alternative certification
Teachers who are participating in an alternative certification program may be considered to meet the highly qualified certification requirements if they:
receive high-quality professional development;
participate in a program of intensive supervision and support, or a teacher mentoring program;
assume functions as a teacher only a period of time not to exceed three years; and
demonstrate progress toward full certification.
posted by AcrosticGuy @ 4:57 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home