Federal

U.S. Education Department Gives States Reprieve in Meeting ‘Highly Qualified’ Teacher Requirement

By Bess Keller — October 24, 2005 3 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Includes updates and/or revisions.

States have been promised a one-year reprieve on equipping every core-subject classroom with a teacher who meets the federal standard of “highly qualified,” but only if the states are trying hard enough.

In an Oct. 21 letter to chief state school officers, U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings said that federal officials would not necessarily yank funds from states that “do not quite reach the 100 percent goal” for highly qualified teachers by the end of the current school year—the goal set by the No Child Left Behind Act. Rather, she wrote, federal education officials will apply a series of tests to decide whether states have made enough progress to get the reprieve.

The goal has been one of the most controversial sections of the nearly 4-year-old law, in part, because of the hurdles local officials face in finding enough highly qualified teachers for certain classrooms—in rural areas and for special education students at the secondary level, for instance—and partly because the federal standard focuses on subject-matter knowledge. To be deemed “highly qualified” under federal law, teachers must hold a standard license and demonstrate knowledge of the subjects they teach. It is up to states to decide, within federal guidelines, what constitutes such a demonstration, although it should be equivalent to at least a test at the college level or a college minor.

Ms. Spellings said federal officials would grant the one-year reprieve on the basis of examining whether:

• A state’s definition of a highly qualified teacher is consistent with the law;

• Reporting to parents and the public on highly qualified teachers is thorough;

• Collection of data on highly qualified teachers is complete and accurate; and

• Steps are being taken to ensure that “experienced and qualified” educators are as likely to teach poor and minority children as their white and more affluent peers.

If such an examination shows that a state has made good progress toward the goal, it can win a reprieve by submitting a detailed revised plan for meeting the 100 percent target in the 2006-07 school year. The states must make sure, as the law demands, that poor and minority students are no less served by highly qualified teachers than are their more advantaged peers.

The letter acknowledged that 100 percent compliance with the provision would continue to pose challenges in some circumstances, despite concerted efforts. It cited in particular the states and districts seriously affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. But it also said U.S. Department of Education officials “have some real concerns” that states have not all laid the groundwork or fully accepted responsibility for meeting the federal standard.

“It is up to the states and districts to do everything possible to ensure that teachers who are not highly qualified can become highly qualified as soon as possible,” Ms. Spellings wrote.

Barnett Berry, the president of the Center for Teaching Quality in Chapel Hill, N.C., said the department’s action was “beside the point.”

“I am pleased the feds have thrown a stake in the ground when it comes to defining and reporting on ‘highly qualified’ teachers—but the stake is way too flimsy and the ground feels more like quicksand than concrete,” he wrote in an Oct. 24 e-mail. “The definition of ‘highly qualified’ teacher remains mushy and represents minimally qualified teachers at best.

“States have been given too little guidance and have little capacity to assemble robust data on truly highly qualified teachers,” Mr. Berry continued, “and many school districts (especially rural ones) have too few resources and technical capacity to make good on what is an ambitious and most critical agenda for closing the achievement gap.”

Events

Student Achievement K-12 Essentials Forum Learning Interventions That Work
Join this free virtual event to explore best practices in academic interventions and how to know whether they are making a difference.
School & District Management Webinar Fostering Productive Relationships Between Principals and Teachers
Strong principal-teacher relationships = happier teachers & thriving schools. Join our webinar for practical strategies.
Jobs Virtual Career Fair for Teachers and K-12 Staff
Find teaching jobs and K-12 education jubs at the EdWeek Top School Jobs virtual career fair.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Federal Civil Rights, Research, and More: What’s Hit Hardest by Massive Ed. Dept. Cuts
An analysis of the Trump administration's cuts to the agency shows its civil rights enforcement and research arms are hit particularly hard.
Chloe Kienzle of Arlington, Va., holds a sign as she stands outside the headquarters of the U.S. Department of Eduction, which were ordered closed for the day for what officials described as security reasons amid large-scale layoffs, Wednesday, March 12, 2025, in Washington.
Chloe Kienzle of Arlington, Va., holds a sign as she stands outside the headquarters of the U.S. Department of Education on Wednesday, March 12, 2025, in Washington. The department this week said it was cutting nearly half its staff.
Mark Schiefelbein/AP
Federal Opinion The Threat to Federal School Data Is a Threat to Us All
The erosion of this fundamental information will create immediate blind spots for districts and states.
Ronald L. Wasserstein
6 min read
A bar graph melts into a puddle.
iStock/Getty Images
Federal Ed. Dept. Will Shed Nearly Half Its Staff in Massive Reduction Under Trump
The U.S. Department of Education announced Tuesday it was getting rid of nearly half its staff through a variety of measures.
6 min read
The exterior of the Department of Education Building in Washington, DC on Thursday, December 14, 2017.
The exterior of the Department of Education building in Washington on Thursday, December 14, 2017. The department's Washington office and regional offices will be closed on Wednesday for "security reasons," according to an email sent to staff members.
Swikar Patel/Education Week
Federal Trump Admin. Cuts Program That Brought Local Food to School Cafeterias
The $660 million Local Food For Schools program, which was started under President Joe Biden, was canceled for 2025.
5 min read
Children enjoy lunches provided by the Brownsville Independent School District on June 8, 2016, at the Olivera Park gymnasium in Brownsville, Texas. The local school district provides free lunches to any child under 18 who needs a meal, regardless of their status as a student with the school district.
Children enjoy lunches provided by the Brownsville Independent School District on June 8, 2016, at the Olivera Park gymnasium in Brownsville, Texas. The USDA has terminated funding for a program that allows schools to purchase food from local farmers.
Jason Hoekema/The Brownsville Herald via AP