Middle level / middle certified teachers

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

“highly qualified?”

Middle 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 middle level subject-specific Praxis II 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 holds the middle level generalist endorsement (#006) and

took the Praxis Principles of Teaching & Learning exam that was then required for certification?  Does that test count for a teacher to demonstrate HQ?

No; that exam didn’t test content knowledge.  Middle school teachers would have had to have taken the middle level subject-specific or secondary level subject-specific Praxis II exams.

4.  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.” 

5.  What if a teacher holds an elementary certification but teaches in a middle

school or teaches only 1 or 2 subjects in grades housed in an elementary school?  What requirements apply then?

In such cases, the question is whether or not the teacher is in a predominantly self-contained (traditional) elementary setting.  If the teacher is in such a setting, the requirements for demonstrating elementary teacher HQ apply.  If the teacher is in a setting that is more departmentalized, the requirements for demonstrating middle or secondary teacher HQ apply.  It is up to the district to determine which setting they consider the teacher to be in. 

6.  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.

7.  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.

8.  If a teacher in a middle 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.