|
OVERVIEW:
HIGHLY QUALIFIED TEACHERS AND PARAPROFESSIONALS
Teachers
-- NCLB requires that by the 2005-06 school year
all teachers of core academic subjects must meet the following
three requirements:
- Hold
a bachelor's or higher degree;
- Be
fully licensed or certified in the subjects they teach, and
- Can
demonstrate competence in the subjects they teach.
The
core academic subjects are:
- English
- reading/language
arts
- mathematics
- science
- foreign
languages
- civics
and government
- economics
- arts
- history
- geography
In
Fulton County in 2003-04, 99.15 percent of teachers met the "highly
qualified" definition. Most of the teachers not considered highly
qualified fell within one of the following three categories: long-term
substitutes, retired teachers or non-education professionals (such
as an engineer) who have alternate certification.
Paraprofessionals
- NCLB requires that by 2006 all paraprofessionals must
have a high school diploma or equivalent. In addition,
paraprofessionals who provide instructional support must also:
- Have
completed two years of study at an institution of higher education;
- Hold
an associates or higher degree, or
- Demonstrate
through a formal state or local assessment knowledge of and
ability to help instruct reading, writing and mathematics.
Except
for the requirement to have a high school diploma or equivalent,
these requirements do not apply to paraprofessionals who only
provide non-instructional support, such as playground or cafeteria
supervision, clerical assistance, etc.
In
Fulton County in 2003-04, 92 percent of all paraprofessionals
met the new requirements.
MORE
INFORMATION
Teacher
and Paraprofessional Quality, National Education
Association
Highly
Qualified Teachers, U.S. Department of Education
Back
to NCLB Table of Contents
|
