Subject Qualification Vexing for Teachers in Special Education

Over her 26-year career, Mary Binegar has taught math, science, social studies, and English to special education students at Urbana High School in Urbana, Ohio.

This year, she’s teaching only social studies to her classes, which mix students with learning disabilities, emotional disturbances, and cognitive disabilities.

Under state and federal rules, Ms. Binegar knows she’s highly qualified in that subject because her college major was social studies education, along with a certification in special education. But her four colleagues in the school’s special education department are still working to meet the “highly qualified” standard in at least one of the subject areas they teach. Right now, meeting that standard in Ohio requires 45 hours of...