Equity in Education: Highly Qualified Teacher Initiative Report

1. Willa Spicer, Assistant Commissioner Cathy Pine, Director Carol Albritton, Teacher Quality Coordinator Office of Professional Standards, Licensing and Higher Education Collaboration 2009-2010 SURVEY RESULTS OF THE HIGHLY QUALIFIED TEACHER INITIATIVE September 1, 2010

2. No Child Left Behind Act – 2001The Highly Qualified Teacher To satisfy the federal definition of Highly Qualified, teachers must: • Have a Bachelor’s degree; • Have valid state certification for which no requirements have been waived (i.e., no emergency certificates); and • Demonstrate content expertise in the core academic subject(s) they teach through federal criteria specified in NCLB Note: HOUSE Matrix use ended for general education teachers on June 30, 2007 and for special education teachers on June 30, 2010. HOUSE Matrix may be used by foreign teachers on short-term assignments.

3. 2009-2010 Highly Qualified Progress ReportFall 2009 Certificated Staff Report • 99.8% of NJ teachers are highly qualified in the subjects they teach. The state has made significant progress toward ensuring that all teachers are highly qualified in the content they teach. • The gap between the number of classes taught by highly qualified teachers (HQT) in high poverty and low poverty schools has narrowed from 10% in 2004-2005 to 0.3% in 2009-2010. • Special education classes reflect the lowest percentage of highly qualified teachers.

4. A Longitudinal Look

5. 2009-2010 Highly Qualified Teacher Survey % TeachersHighly Qualified for All Subjects Taught

6. State Equity Plan—Strategies to Increase % of HQT and Ensure Equity • Require assurances in the District HQT Plan that poor and minority students are not taught by inexperienced, unqualified or out-of-field teachers at higher rates than other students; • Recruit candidates to teach in  high needs districts through urban programs in teacher preparation colleges and summer academies for interested high school students; • Increase the emphasis on the training of mentors for new teachers; • Provide school-based, collaborative professional learning to collectively improve practice; and • Collect and analyze data on schools’ working conditions to inform teacher quality policy and practices.

7. District HQT Improvement Plan Those districts that failed to achieve 100% of classes taught by highly qualified teachers for two consecutive years must submit the online HQT Improvement Plan. Plan Components • Report timeline and method for teachers who are not yet highly qualified (HQ) in the core academic content area(s) they teach to attain HQ status. • Describe the barriers that have prevented the district from reaching the goal of 100% of core academic classes taught by highly qualified teachers.

8. District HQT Improvement Plan • Describe the strategies employed to recruit and retain highly qualified teachers. • Report where in the district poor or minority students are being taught in greater numbers than other students by teachers not highly qualified in their teaching assignment or by less experienced teachers. • Describe the steps being taken to ensure an equitable distribution of highly qualified and experienced teachers across all schools and grades.

9. HQT Agreement for Districts in Need of Improvement (DINIs) Those districts that failed AYP for 3 consecutive years and did not meet the NCLB goal of 100% highly qualified teachers for 3 consecutive years must enter into an agreement with the State Department of Education on the use of Title IIA professional development funds.

10. HQT Agreement for Districts in Need of Improvement (DINIs) NJDOE and district administrators collaborate to craft the agreement. Department staff (across divisions) work with district administration on an ongoing basis to monitor implementation of the agreement and provide assistance and resources. Terms of Agreement A. The school district shall reallocate Title IIA funds directly to the schools that do not have 100% of classes taught by highly qualified teachers to be used for professional development or college coursework designed to reach the goal of 100% of classes taught by highly qualified teachers and to enable teachers to be successful in the classroom.

11. HQT Agreement for Districts in Need of Improvement (DINIs) B. The district is required to increase high-quality professional development for teachers and must describe strategies they plan to use in targeted schools. C. All schools in the district shall conduct a NJDOE-developed school climate survey as a pre- and post-assessment of school culture to inform decisions on school improvement. D. The district shall not use any funds received under Title IA to hire a paraprofessional.

12. Federal Monitoring of New JerseyJanuary 2010 The U. S. Department of Education conducted a monitoring visit of New Jersey’s Title IIA program on January 26-27, 2010. The visit included: • Meetings with NJDOE staff across divisions supporting and monitoring the Title IIA and Highly Qualified programs; • Examination of documentation provided by the Office of Professional Standards, Licensing and Higher Education Collaboration and the Office of Academic Standards; • Interviews with grantees in colleges providing professional development support to high need districts; • On-site visit to an urban school district; and • Telephone conferences with two school districts.

13. Federal Monitoring of New Jersey January 2010 Findings 1. In past years, the State has not required each LEA that has failed to meet annual measurable objectives for HQT for two consecutive years to have an improvement plan in place. The SEA recently has begun issuing new guidance and implementing technical assistance and procedures to carry out this requirement. The new procedures will bring the State into compliance during the current year. No further action is required.

14. Federal Monitoring of New Jersey January 2010 2. In past years, the State has not required each LEA that has not met its annual measurable objectives for HQT for three consecutive years and that has also failed to make AYP for three years to enter into an agreement on the use of Title II, Part A funds. The SEA has recently begun implementing procedures to carry out this requirement. The new procedures will bring the State into compliance during the current year. No further action is required.

15. Federal Monitoring of New Jersey January 2010 Commendation The State is commended for its cohesive and thoughtful leveraging, integrating and coordinating professional development funds and resources to maximize its reach and impact on teachers and, ultimately, on student achievement.

16. New Jersey’s HQT Plan In 2010, the NJ Highly Qualified Teacher State Plan was revised and submitted to the U. S. Department of Education. The plan will be updated annually to reflect the department’s augmented efforts to support our goals for achieving highly qualified and effective teachers in all classrooms.