TEACHERS: New and Old, Judged Chiefly on Same Standards

As the state official who oversees teacher-qualification rules, Dorothy Gotlieb is proud, she says, of the work Colorado has done to decide how veteran educators will meet the requirements of the federal No Child Left Behind Act.

Colorado’s standard is devoid of the loopholes that have drawn criticism to other states’ policies, many of which, observers have suggested, fall short of both the letter and the spirit of the law’s provision on “highly qualified” teachers. Colorado, in contrast, got the only A for its plan among 39 graded by a national group concerned with teacher quality.

The state’s standard—which calls for experienced teachers to meet almost the same requirements as new teachers—is also a practical success, according to Ms. Gotlieb, the deputy education commissioner. Understandable and acceptable to most Colorado educators, it could make a difference in the overall quality of the...