No Child Left Behind Certification


The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) act requires that all teachers are deemed "Highly Qualified" by June 30, 2006.
Provinsional teachers who are not "Highly Qualified" by June 30 cannot be re-hired for the 2006-2007 school year!


To be "Highly Qualified":
  1. Must have an undergraduate degree
  2. Must have an active and valid state teacher license
  3. Must demonstrate subject matter competency by meeting ONE of the following requirements:
    • Pass MTEL in subject(s) they teach.
    • Possess an academic major or graduate degree in content area(s) they teach.
    • Successfully complete coursework equivalent to an undergraduate major in area(s) they teach.
    • Successfully complete advanced certification in area(s) they teach through the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards or American Board.
    • HOUSSE - successfully complete the Massachusetts High Objective Uniform State Standard of Evaluation in area(s) they teach. [Applies only to teachers who are NOT in their first year of teaching.]

Mandatory Components of HOUSSE
  1. Headmaster approval is neccesary for information in HOUSSE
  2. The HOUSSE must contain at least 120 PDP's. Note requirements for these particular area(s):
    • Elementary and Middle School generalists, including Special Education and ESL teachers, must demonstrate competency for all subjects they teach. Distribution of the Professional Development Points (PDP's) must include 96 points tied to the core areas they teach with at least 10 PDP's covering each of the other core area subjects they are teaching.
    • Specialists (those teachers not listed above) must have 120 PDP's total with 96 points addressing the core academic area in which the teacher is teaching, focusing on specific subject area content and pedagogy.
    • If an educator is teaching outside of license, 30 PDP's must be reflected in that subject.
  3. PDP's are valid if earned after June 17, 1999
  4. A HOUSSEE approved in the previous year is valid only if educator's teaching assignment has not changed.

Use of HOUSSE to Renew Professional License
Teachers may also use the recommended IPDP "portfolio" highlighted above to renew their Professional stage license.
  1. Professional licenses issued or renewed after December 1, 1999, require 150 PDP's for renewal, with at least 90 in content and at least 120 in content and pedagogy. Additional Professional stage license.
  2. If an IPDP is used for license renewal it should be:
    1. Approved and signed by a supervisor within three months of Professional license issue or renewal date
    2. Reviewed by supervisor at least once every two years
    3. Endorsed and signed for completion prior to renewal application