Paper Number K-12: 2006- 92
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July 2006
Technical Assistance Paper NCLB Highly Qualified Teachers Page 1
Phase-out of the Use of the High Objective Uniform State Standard of Evaluation (HOUSSE)
Option for Meeting the Highly Qualified Teacher (HQT) Requirement
The US Department of Education (USDOE) has reviewed state efforts to meet the HQT
requirement and has notified each state of the results of the assessment of the state’s HQT
progress. The review has determined that Florida has documented a good faith effort but did not
fully meet the 100% HQT goal by June 30, 2006. Thus, Florida as all other states, must submit a
revised state plan outlining the steps being taken to reach the goal of all core academic classes
being taught by a HQT by the end of the 2006-07 school year. As part of the revised plan, school
districts must ensure that poor or minority children are not taught by inexperienced, unqualified, or
out-of-field teachers at higher rates than are other children, and each state must conduct a final
review of veteran teachers hired before the 2006-07 school year and complete the HOUSSE
process with the exceptions as noted below.
As you are aware, the NCLB Act is due for reauthorization in 2007 which means there will be
extensive reviews of all sections of the law, including the implementation of the HQT requirements.
It is likely that changes will be made. It is also expected that later this year, the USDOE may issue
additional guidance relating to HQT and the HOUSSE option.
However, unless further action is taken by the USDOE, the HOUSSE option is limited to (1)
experienced teachers hired prior to the end of the 2005-06 school year, or (2) teachers hired after
the 2005-06 school year for the following special categories:
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New
middle/secondary special education content teachers if highly qualified in language
arts, mathematics, or science at the time of hire. These individuals may have two
additional years and the use of the HOUSSE option to document HQT in the additional
content subjects.
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International exchange teachers from other countries hired to teach on a temporary basis.
(See more information below).
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Middle/secondary teachers in
eligible small rural
districts teaching multiple subjects and
who are highly qualified in one core academic subject. These individuals have three years
to become highly qualified in the other core academic subjects. These teachers may use
the HOUSSE option (in Florida applicable only in Liberty County).
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Teachers who earned HQT in another state. The USDOE has confirmed that the
transferability of an out-of-state highly qualified status for veteran teachers via the
HOUSSE option earned prior to the 2006-07 school year will be allowable. The attached
form must be sent by the Florida school district to the other state agency or official entity
such as the school district to verify the HQT HOUSSE for veteran teachers relocating to
Florida. The completed signed form must be maintained in the personnel file within the
Florida school district as documentation of the out-of-state transferred HQT status.
Paper Number K-12: 2006-92
July 2006
Page Two
Technical Assistance Paper NCLB Highly Qualified Teachers Page 2
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Veteran teachers of specific foreign languages. In order to address special circumstances
in Florida for teachers of core academic subjects for which there are no subject area
examinations, the HOUSSE option may continue to be used for veteran teachers of the
following foreign languages: Chinese, Greek, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, and
Russian.
International Teachers Employed with an Exchange Teacher Certificate
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Attached is a revised HOUSSE option form for exchange teachers that may be used in
combination with a valid Florida Exchange Teacher Certificate. This revision is provided as
an option for an exchange teacher who is a proficient native language speaker to
demonstrate HQT status for a foreign language.
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NCLB provides for middle/secondary teachers who have a major in the content area or who
have passed a subject content examination to establish HQT status for the academic
subject area. In Florida, the Temporary or Professional Certificate in the subject area may
be issued on these bases and thus establishes HQT status for middle and secondary
subjects. The Exchange Teacher Certificate does not reflect a subject area, so either a
degree major, passing score on a Florida subject area examination, or HOUSSE for
experienced teachers may be used as a basis for HQT designation for a middle/secondary
subject in combination with a valid Florida Exchange Teacher Certificate.
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The HOUSSE option may continue to be used for elementary exchange teachers in
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combination with a valid Florida Exchange Teacher Certificate.
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Social Science Courses
As previously advised, the USDOE has provided definitive clarification that NCLB does not classify
social science as a core academic area. The separate areas of history, geography, economics,
and political science (civics/government) are designated as core academic areas requiring the
highly qualified teacher status. The district coordinators and student database contacts have been
recently notified of changes in the classification of social science courses for reporting HQT status.
All social science courses that are not classified as one of the four areas are to be excluded and no
longer included in the HQT data file. A revised database appendix for 2006-07 will reflect this
change. Thus, for the following course numbers there is no longer a requirement for the teacher to
meet HQT requirements. Of course, the appropriate certification for each course per the Course
Code Directory remains effective. The excluded general social science courses are:
2104000,2105000, 2105020, 2105030, 2101300, 2101310, 2101800, 2101810, 212071A,
2104300, through 2104340, 2104600, 2104610, 2105300, 2105310, 2105340, 2105350, 2105860,
212091A, 2107300, 2107310, 2107350, 2107360, 2107800, 2107810, & 2108300