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| ESEA | ESPecially for You | Good Teaching |
| Parents' Place | Education Policies & Trends |
Teacher Quality:ESEA's requirement that teachers
be "highly qualified" and what this means in Colorado NEW! Colorado's "Highly Qualified" Draft Plan ESEA outlines new requirements for teacher quality. The requirements challenge states to examine their teacher licensing laws; ensure teachers have mastery of content areas in which they teach; track and disclose information on teacher qualifications; and promote ongoing professional development for teachers. There are similar qualifications for paraprofessionals or paraeducators. ESEA requires that all teachers, including those who came to teaching through alternative licensing, be "Highly Qualified" in the subjects they teach by the end of the 2005-06 school year. To meet the "Highly Qualified" definition, teachers must be fully licensed by the state and not have had any permanent waivers of licensing requirements.
New TeachersNew elementary teachers must have at least a Bachelor's degree and pass a state test demonstrating subject knowledge and teaching skills in reading, writing, math, and other areas of basic elementary school curriculum;New middle school or high school teachers must have at least a Bachelor's degree and demonstrate competency in each of the academic subjects they teach OR complete an academic major or coursework equivalent to a major OR a graduate degree in each of the academic areas in which they teach OR earn advanced licenses in the same areas. Current TeachersCurrent teachers at all levels (elementary, middle, and high school) must have at least a Bachelor's degree and meet the requirements for new teachers OR demonstrate their competency in all subjects they teach.If the "competency demonstration" is used, a uniform state evaluation standard must be the judge of competency. The evaluation standard must provide objective information about the teacher's knowledge of the subjects taught and can consider – but cannot use as a primary measure – time spent teaching the subject. The evaluation standard must be applied uniformly to all teachers in the same subject and grade level throughout the state. The TimelineThe first timeline applies right now in the 2002-03 school year. New teachers who were hired this year to work in programs supported by Title I funding must meet the "Highly Qualified" requirements. The state and school districts must begin reporting their progress toward ensuring that all teachers are Highly Qualified.By the end of the 2005-06 school year, all teachers in core academic subjects must be Highly Qualified. The core academic subjects, under ESEA, include every subject taught except physical education, computer science, and vocational courses. CDE and the education community are working to finalize the Colorado plan for ensuring that all teachers are Highly Qualified by 2005-06. We will share this information as soon as the plan is completed.
Take NEA's online quiz to see if you meet
ESEA's requirements as a Highly Qualified Teacher. School districts must use between 10 and 30% of their Title I funds to help current teachers become Highly Qualified under ESEA's timeline. ESEA also requires states to publish an annual report disclosing teachers' professional qualifications, the percentage of teachers working with emergency or provisional licenses, and the percentage of classes in the state not taught by "highly qualified" teachers.
Other ESEA Teacher Quality LinksOne-page backgrounder on Teacher QualityNEA information on ESEA Teacher Quality |