• Pursuant to the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB), teachers with primary responsibility for instructing students in the core academic subject areas (science, the arts, reading or language arts, English, history, civics and government, economics, geography, foreign language, and mathematics) are required to be “highly qualified” for those assignments.

• A teacher’s qualifications do not make him or her “highly qualified” in the absolute sense. Rather, the question is whether a teacher is “highly qualified” with respect to his or her areas of assignment. A teacher who collaborates or consults with another teacher does not have “primary responsibility” and is not required to be “highly qualified” in the core academic subject area; each teacher who does have “primary responsibility” for a core academic subject area must be.

• In establishing requirements for being considered “highly qualified”, NCLB and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act distinguish between “veteran teachers” and those who are new to the profession. In addition to the specific requirements set forth for being considered “highly qualified” for particular assignments, veteran teachers can be considered “highly qualified” based on an additional set of criteria, the High Objective Uniform State Standard of Evaluation (HOUSSE). For the purposes of this Appendix D, each individual shall become a “veteran teacher” when he or she has accrued at least one full year’s teaching experience. The HOUSSE criteria may then be applied in determining whether the individual can be considered “highly qualified” for assignments in core subjects.

• An “elementary” certificate is a “Type 03” certificate. An “early childhood” certificate is a “Type 04” certificate. A “secondary” certificate is a “Type 09” certificate. Either a “special K-12” (subject-specific) certificate or a “special preschool–age 21” certificate is a “Type 10” certificate. A “transitional bilingual” certificate is a “Type 29” certificate. A “short-term emergency” certificate in special education is a “Type 12” certificate.

• The term “primary grades” or “primary level” refers to kindergarten and Grades 1-5. The “middle grades” are Grades 6-8. The “secondary” level consists of Grades 9-12. Further, references to a particular type of certificate (e.g., elementary) should be understood to mean a certificate of that type that is also valid for the subjects taught by virtue of the certificate-holder’s subject-specific qualifications. These references include provisional, initial, standard, and master certificates of each type where applicable.

• A master certificate that is endorsed for the subject area of assignment is, in and of itself, a basis for the holder’s being considered “highly qualified” for that assignment, other than at the primary level, where passage of a test is required of teachers who are new to the profession. That is (except in the case of assignments at the primary level), an individual who holds a relevant master certificate shall be considered “highly qualified” without reference to any additional requirements stated for the assignment to which the master certificate applies.

• A special education teacher who is new to the profession, who is considered “highly qualified” in language arts, mathematics, or science, and who teaches two or more subjects shall be considered “highly qualified” in all subjects taught for two years after the date of first employment. Once this two-year period has elapsed, the teacher shall be required to meet the criteria for being considered “highly qualified” in the core subject area of assignment. However, it should be noted that a teacher in this situation will be treated as a veteran teacher after attaining one year’s teaching experience, as is the case for any other teacher. That is, the teacher has two years before he or she will be required to meet the criteria in every subject taught but will have access to points under the Illinois HOUSSE after one year’s experience. A special education teacher who has completed an Illinois approved preparation program in special education after June 30, 2002, and has also passed the assessment of professional teaching shall be considered “highly qualified” in language arts, by virtue of the subject-area competence cumulatively evidenced by the individual’s:
  
       • completion of coursework addressing the General Curricular Standards for Special
          Education teachers, as well as the Common Core of Standards for All Special Educators
  
       • passage of the test of basic skills covering reading, writing, grammar, and mathematics; and
  
       • passage of the assessment of professional teaching, one of whose major components is the
         Language Arts Standards for All Illinois Teachers

Kindergarten and Grades 1-5
A teacher who has primary responsibility for teaching content in core academic subjects will be considered “highly qualified” if he or she:

     a) holds an elementary or a special K-12 certificate with an endorsement for self-contained general          elementary education and has passed the Elementary/Middle Grades test; or

     b) holds an elementary or a special K-12 certificate valid for the subjects taught and has passed the          content-area test applicable to that endorsement; or

     c) holds an early childhood certificate that is valid for the primary grades and has passed the Early
         Childhood test (applicable only through Grade 3); or

     d) holds an elementary, an early childhood, or a special K-12 certificate valid for the subjects taught
         and qualifies with 100 points under the Illinois HOUSSE, if applicable.

Bilingual Education (K-5)
A teacher who has primary responsibility for teaching content in core academic subjects, other than ESL or ENL, in a program of bilingual education will be considered “highly qualified” if he or she:

     a) holds an endorsement or approval for bilingual education or a transitional bilingual
         certificate and:

          1) holds an elementary or special K-12 certificate with an endorsement for self-contained general               elementary education and has passed the Elementary/Middle Grades test, or

          2) holds an elementary or a special K-12 certificate valid for the subject taught and has passed
              the content-area test applicable to that subject, or

          3) through Grade 3 only, holds an early childhood certificate that is valid for the primary grades
              and has passed the Early Childhood test, or

          4) holds an elementary or special K-12 certificate with an endorsement for self-contained general               elementary education, or an elementary or a special K-12 certificate valid for the subjects
              taught, or, through Grade 3 only, an early childhood certificate valid for the primary grades
              and qualifies with 100 points under the Illinois HOUSSE, if applicable; or

     b) holds a transitional bilingual certificate and:

          1) has passed the content-area test applicable to the subject taught, and

          2) is continuously enrolled in an approved teacher preparation program applicable to the grade
              levels served, and

         3) is participating in an induction/mentoring program that conforms to the definition found in the              regulations implementing the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, and

         4) has not exhausted the three-year period permitted under NCLB for attaining full certification.

English as a Second Language or English as a New Language (K-5)
A teacher who has primary responsibility for teaching ESL or ENL will be considered “highly qualified” if he or she:

     a) holds an elementary or a special K-12 certificate with approval for bilingual education, ESL, or
         ENL or a special K-12 certificate endorsed for bilingual education, ESL, or ENL and:

          1) has passed the Elementary/Middle Grades test or the content-area test for ENL or English               Language Arts, or

          2) qualifies with 100 points under the Illinois HOUSSE, if applicable; or

     b) through Grade 3 only, holds an early childhood certificate valid for the primary grades with
         approval for bilingual education, ESL, or ENL, and:

          1) has passed the Early Childhood test, or

          2) qualifies with 100 points under the Illinois HOUSSE, if applicable; or

     c) holds a transitional bilingual certificate and:

          1) has passed the content-area test applicable to the subject taught, and

          2) is continuously enrolled in an approved teacher preparation program applicable to the grade
              levels served, and

          3) is participating in an induction/mentoring program that conforms to the definition found in the               regulations implementing the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, and

          4) has not exhausted the three-year period permitted under NCLB for attaining full certification.

Special Education (K-5)
A teacher who has primary responsibility for teaching content in core academic subjects will be considered “highly qualified” if he or she:

     a) holds either an elementary or a special preschool-age 21 certificate endorsed for the student          population served and has passed the Elementary/Middle Grades test; or

     b) holds either an elementary or a special K-12 certificate valid for the subject taught and endorsed
         for the student population served, and has passed the content-area test applicable to the subject
         taught; or

     c) through Grade 3 only, holds an early childhood certificate that is valid for the primary grades
         and for early childhood special education, or holds a special preschool-age 21 certificate
         endorsed for the student population served, and has passed the Early Childhood test or the
         Early Childhood Special Education test; or

     d) holds an elementary or a special preschool-age 21 certificate endorsed for the student population          served, or an early childhood certificate that is valid for the primary grades, and qualifies with 100          points under the Illinois HOUSSE, if applicable.

Bilingual Education (6-8)
A teacher who has primary responsibility for teaching content in core academic subjects, other than ESL or ENL, whether in a self-contained or a departmentalized setting, will be considered “highly qualified” if he or she:
     
      a) holds an endorsement or approval for bilingual education or a transitional bilingual
          certificate and:

          1) holds an elementary or a special K-12, or a secondary certificate valid for the subjects
              taught; and

          2) for each core subject area of teaching responsibility:

              A) has passed either the Elementary/Middle Grades test or the content-area test specific to
                   the subject taught, or

              B) has completed a major or coursework equivalent to a major, or

              C) holds a master’s or higher degree in a field directly related to the area of assignment, or

              D) holds NBPTS certification or an Illinois master certificate, or

              E) qualifies with 100 points under the Illinois HOUSSE, if applicable; or

     b) holds a transitional bilingual certificate and:

           1) has passed the content-area test applicable to the subject taught, and

           2) is continuously enrolled in an approved teacher preparation program applicable to the grade
               levels served, and

           3) is participating in an induction/mentoring program that conforms to the definition found in
               the regulations implementing the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, and

           4) has not exhausted the three-year period permitted under NCLB for attaining full certification.

English as a Second Language or English as a New Language (6-8)
A teacher who has primary responsibility for teaching ESL or ENL will be considered “highly qualified” if he or she:

     a) holds an elementary, a special K-12, or a secondary certificate with approval for ESL or ENL
         (or, for Grades 5 and 6 only, with approval for bilingual education), or holds a special K-12
         certificate  endorsed for ESL or ENL, and:

          1) has passed the Elementary/Middle Grades test or the content-area test for either ENL or
              English Language Arts, or

          2) has completed a major or coursework equivalent to a major in English language arts or the
              teaching of English as a new language, or

         3) holds a master’s or higher degree in English language arts or the teaching of English as a new              language, or

         4) holds NBPTS certification or an Illinois master certificate in English language arts or the
             teaching of English as a new language, or

         5) qualifies with 100 points under the Illinois HOUSSE, if applicable; or

     b) for Grade 6 only, holds a transitional bilingual certificate and:

         1) has passed the content-area test applicable to the subject taught, and

         2) is continuously enrolled in an approved teacher preparation program applicable to the grade
             levels served, and

         3) is participating in an induction/mentoring program that conforms to the definition found in the              regulations implementing the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, and

         4) has not exhausted the three-year period permitted under NCLB for attaining full certification.

Special Education (6-8)
A teacher who has primary responsibility for teaching content in core academic subjects will be considered “highly qualified” if he or she holds a special preschool-age 21 certificate endorsed for the student population served, or holds an elementary, secondary, or special K-12 certificate that is valid for the grade levels of the assignment and the subjects taught and endorsed for the student population served; and, for each core subject area taught:

     a) has passed either the Elementary/Middle Grades test or the content-area test specific to the
         subject taught; or

     b) has completed a major or coursework equivalent to a major; or

     c) holds a master’s or higher degree in a field directly related to the area of assignment; or

     d) holds NBPTS certification or an Illinois master certificate; or

     e) qualifies with 100 points under the Illinois HOUSSE, if applicable.

Middle-Grades Teachers Providing Instruction at the Primary Level
A teacher who provides instruction at the primary level to students of middle-grade age whose performance is assessed against alternate achievement standards will be considered “highly qualified” if he or she meets the criteria for either new or veteran special education teachers at either the primary or the middle-grade level, whether the teacher is a veteran or new to the profession.

Points Available Under the Illinois HOUSSE Criteria

The activities listed in this Appendix D shall be eligible for counting by teachers in general education, bilingual education, and special education. In the case of special education, a given activity, other than teaching experience, may be counted only if it relates to the core academic subject taught rather than special education as the “area of assignment”.

a) Teaching experience in the subject area of assignment: 12.5 points per semester, up to a maximum of 50 points. (Special education teachers may count teaching experience in special education as experience in each core academic subject taught.)

b) Completion of college coursework in the core academic subject area of assignment: 5 points per semester hour.

c) Possession of NBPTS certification or an Illinois master certificate applicable to the area of assignment: 100 points for a general education teacher in grades below 6 or a special education teacher.

d) Completion of the required content-area coursework within the context of completing an Illinois approved preparation program in elementary education or an approved out-of-state elementary education preparation program offered by an institution that was accredited by NCATE at the time: 75 points for a teacher in a self-contained general education classroom through Grade 8. Completion of the required content-area coursework within the context of completing an Illinois approved early childhood education preparation program or an approved out-of-state early childhood preparation program offered by an institution that was accredited by NCATE at the time: 75 points for a teacher in a self-contained general education classroom through Grade 3. (This coursework may not also be counted for points under subsection (b).)

e) Participation in conference sessions, workshops, institutes, seminars, symposia, or other similar training events that are directly related to the area of teaching assignment: 1 point per full hour of participation.

f) Presenting at conference sessions, workshops, institutes, seminars, symposia, or other similar training events: 8 or 3 points, in accordance with Section 25.875(k) of this Part.

g) Work experience (non-teaching) directly related to the area of teaching assignment (e.g., experience in a chemical laboratory on the part of an individual teaching chemistry): 10 points per year of experience, up to a maximum of 50 points.

h) Supervising a student teacher in the subject area of assignment: 10 points per student teacher, applicable to all subjects.

i) Peer review or peer coaching that meets the requirements of Section 25.875(b) of this Part: 5, 8, 9, or 11 points per semester, in accordance with Section 25.875(b)(2) of this Part.

j) Mentoring a new teacher in the subject area of assignment, provided that the mentoring arrangement conforms to the requirements of Section 25.875(c)(1)(A) of this Part: 9 or 11 points per semester, in accordance with Section 25.875(c)(2)(A) of this Part.

k) Participation in site-based management or decision-making teams, relevant committees, boards, or task forces directly related to school improvement plans and focused on the core academic subject of assignment: 8 or 11 points per semester, in accordance with Section 25.875(d) of this Part. (May be counted only once per subject area.)

l) Teaching a college course in accordance with Section 25.875(j) of this Part that is directly related to the subject area of assignment: 20 points.

m) Participating in action research and inquiry projects that meet the requirements of Section 25.875(n) of this Part and are directly related to the subject area of assignment: 8 or 11 points per semester, in accordance with Section 25.875(n)(2) of this Part.

n) Approved travel related to the area of teaching assignment and meeting the requirements of Section 25.875(p) of this Part: 12 or 15 points per year, in accordance with Section 25.875(p)(2) of this Part.

o) Participation in a study group directly related to the area of teaching assignment: 6 or 8 points per semester, in accordance with Section 25.875(q) of this Part.

p) Participation in an internship directly related to the area of teaching assignment that meets the requirements of Section 25.875(s) of this Part: points in relation to contact hours per semester, as set forth in Section 25.875(s)(2) of this Part.

q) Participation in curriculum development or assessment activities that meet the requirements of Section 25.875(u) of this Part and are directly related to the subject area of assignment: 8 or 11 points per semester, in accordance with Section 25.875(u)(2) of this Part.

r) Publication of educational articles, columns, or books that are directly related to the subject area of assignment: points in accordance with Section 25.875(x)(2) of this Part.

s) Teacher-to-teacher consultation that includes activities such as observation, meetings, and exchange of information (whether face to face or via communications technology) and that relates to topics such as materials, curriculum, evidence-based practices, and techniques and strategies aligned to the State Goals for Learning (see 23 Ill. Adm. Code 1, Appendix D): 1 point per hour of interaction with a teacher who is “highly qualified” in the relevant core academic subject area, up to a maximum of 50 points.

t) Possession of NBPTS certification or an Illinois master teaching certificate in an area other than in the area of assignment: 15 points.

u) Possession of an Illinois standard teaching certificate in an area other than in the area of assignment: 10 points.

• Essentially, it means that the teacher has the knowledge base and background needed to teach a specific subject. The requirements needed to be considered “Highly Qualified” can be acquired through a variety of ways.

• The requirements must be met by the end of the 2005-2006 school year.

• All teachers with the primary responsibility for instructing students in the core academic subject areas.

• That is the classroom teacher who determines and issues the students’ grades.

• They are science, the arts, reading or language arts, English, history, civics and government, economics, geography, foreign language and mathematics.

• A veteran teacher is a teacher has has at least one full year teaching experience.

• There is no one answer. However, all teachers must hold a valid certificate for the grade levels they teach.

• New (first-year) teachers will normally meet the Highly Qualified requirements upon completion of their teacher education program in their subject area.

• Veteran teachers (at least one year teaching experience) can normally meet the requirements under the Illinois HOUSSE criteria for their subject area.

• They are the High Objective Uniform State Standard of Evaluation criteria, a set of about 20 different activities that can qualify teachers to teach their subject area.

• Veteran teachers need to accrue at least 100 points under the HOUSSE criteria to be considered “Highly Qualified”.

• There are also state requirements and HOUSSE criteria for each of those areas.

• You must meet the requirements for whatever grade level and subject area you teach.

• There are some situations, such as in elementary education (K-5) and special education where that principle does not apply.

• Check to make sure that you meet the certification requirements and, for some, the HOUSSE criteria as established by the Illinois State Board of Education for the grade level and subject area(s) that you teach.

• You can do that by taking the ISBE online quiz found at the top of this page (to be available soon). You should also check your state certification and endorsements by going to OTIS. There is a link located at the top of this page.

• You should notify the district personnel office and let them know that you "passed" the ISBE quiz.

• You go directly to jail. Do not pass go. Do not collect $200 ... or .. You need to discuss the matter with the district personnel office.