Testing to demonstrate "highly qualified"

1. Which Connecticut-adopted standardized tests may be considered when

determining a teacher's HQ status

Successful scores on the following tests will meet the criteria for NCLB HQ

status:

Elementary Education (predominately self-contained classrooms) ?

CONNECT and Praxis II;

Middle grades and High School (departmentalized setting) ? CONNTENT,

NTE and subject-specific Praxis II exams; and

Elementary and Secondary World Languages ? Praxis II or ACTFL (WPT and

OPI) exams.

Special Education - no test satisfies the criteria for NCLB ?highly qualified?

status because the Praxis II special education exam tests special education processes and pedagogy, but does not test content knowledge in any of the 10 NCLB core academic content areas. Therefore, passage of the special education Praxis II exam will not suffice for a special education teacher to be NCLB "highly qualified." A special education teacher could take the Praxis II subject area exam that corresponds to what s/he teaches, in order to demonstrate HQ.

NOTE:

Connecticut's assessment requirements have been revised over the years. In keeping with current policy, the SDE will accept the above-identified exams provided that the test date and test code for either the Praxis II or CONNTENT (NTE) exam was Connecticut's adopted test, and the individual met the minimum required score on that assessment.

2. 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.

3. Are teacher assessment exams passed by a teacher in another state acceptable for determining a person to be NCLB "highly qualified" in Connecticut?

No. The teacher assessment exams adopted by other states have not been validated by Connecticut ; therefore, we cannot claim that these exams measure appropriate content knowledge in the core academic content areas.

4. Is the testing for National Board Certification considered acceptable for

demonstrating HQ?

Yes, it is, and it "counts" as long as the teacher took the tests in the subject s/he is certified to teach, and earned NBC.

5. Is there anything else that "counts" as testing?

If a special education teacher completed and passed the BEST portfolio, that portfolio focused on either numeracy or literacy. A passing score on the portfolio can be used to demonstrate HQ for that particular subject.