Teachers Ask About ‘Highly Qualified’

The following questions and answers, asked by Michigan teachers, were compiled by the Michigan Education Association (MEA).

Note: In all cases, a teacher must meet Michigan’s certification requirements in addition to meeting one of the options in the Michigan definition of highly qualified teacher.

Q: I have a minor in biology. I will obtain a master’s in science education and want to know if that will make me “highly qualified” in biology.

A: A master’s in science education will make the biology teacher highly qualified in biology. According to the Michigan Department of Education (MDE), this master’s degree would include an exploration of the biology content, thus making the teacher highly qualified in biology. If the teacher, for some reason, doesn’t complete the master’s, meeting one of the other options in the definition of highly qualified teacher, such as six semester hours in biology between now and the end of 2005–06 school year (plus the three years of teaching experience, which is part of this option) would demonstrate her/his highly qualified status.

Q: Are Health and Family and Consumer Science classes included? Are they part of the core curriculum? What about Vocational Education certification? Does that help? Are there tests for these subject areas?

A: These are not core academic subjects listed in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA)/No Child Left Behind (NCLB). However, if a student receives core academic subject credit for taking one of the above listed subjects, then the teacher has to be highly qualified in that core academic subject. For example, if a student receives science credit for taking a health class, the teacher would need to be highly qualified. There are no tests for vocational education.

Q: Will a master’s degree in special education meet the definition of “highly qualified” if I am teaching in general education core academic areas?

A: No, a master’s degree in special education will not meet the definition of highly qualified if the teacher is teaching general education core academic subjects. The teacher must meet one of the options of the highly qualified definition for each of the core academic areas s/he is teaching.

Q: What happens if a teacher’s course load changes from year to year? Will a teacher have to take the MTTC (Michigan Test for Teacher Certification) exam for each subject as her/his course load changes?

A: If an assignment changes, the teacher must meet Michigan certification requirements to be placed in that new area plus demonstrate, as per Michigan’s definition of highly qualified, that s/he is highly qualified in core academic area(s) of the new assignment.

Q: During the school year, I have worked ten days at our intermediate school district (ISD) as part of a county wide committee that has been writing a standards-based language arts curriculum. Would all my hours at the ISD in working on this project go toward the 90 contract hours of professional development that are referred to in one of the options for demonstrating “highly qualified” status?

A: No, the option that includes 90 contract hours of professional development or six semester hours of content coursework has a timeline of April 24, 2003 (the date Michigan’s State Board of Education approved the definition of highly qualified) to the end of the 2005–06 school year.

Q: I have a Bachelor of Science in biology and a group science minor. Is my minor of any use in teaching at this point?

A: This teacher can teach a course called “science” within the grade noted on the Michigan teaching certificate. Under ESEA, this teacher can teach general science/integrated science at a grade level on the certificate and would need to meet one of the options in the highly qualified definition.

Q: I am a middle school teacher and I have a master’s degree in education—emphasis in reading. In what core areas does this make me “highly qualified”? Does it cover reading, English, and language arts?

A: A master’s in reading would make the teacher highly qualified in reading, not language arts or English.

Source: Michigan Education Association’s “Highly Qualified Teachers Questions and Answers,” www.mea.org/nclb/pdf/HighlyQualifiedTeachersQA.pdf.