Title 4 . Education and Early Development

Chapter 4 . (Repealed)

Section 210. Highly qualified teachers

4 AAC 04.210. Highly qualified teachers

(a) Except as provided in (i) of this section, each district shall ensure that a teacher employed by the district is highly qualified if the teacher

(1) teaches a core academic subject after the start of the 2006-2007 school year; or

(2) was hired after June 13, 2004, and teaches a core academic subject in a school that receives funding under 20 U.S.C. 6301 - 6339 (Part A of Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act).

(b) Except as provided in (e) and (f) of this section, a teacher is highly qualified to teach elementary school if the teacher holds a valid teaching certificate issued under AS 14.20.015 , AS 14.20.017 , AS 14.20.020 , or AS 14.20.022 , and

(1) was employed as a teacher before July 1, 2002, teaches kindergarten or first, second, or third grade, and has obtained certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards as an early childhood generalist;

(2) was employed as a teacher before July 1, 2002, teaches third, fourth, fifth, or sixth grade, and has obtained certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards as a middle childhood generalist;

(3) taught elementary school in another state and was designated as highly qualified to teach elementary school by that state, and if the designation was not revoked or withdrawn;

(4) meets the objective uniform standard set out in 4 AAC 04.212(a) for a highly qualified elementary school teacher, if applicable; or

(5) has achieved the required score or higher on one of the Praxis II examinations described in the following table:

Praxis II Examination Required Score Elementary Education Content Knowledge - 0014 143 Elementary Education: Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment - 0011 156 Multiple Subject Assessments for Teachers Content Knowledge - 0140 (not offered by test publisher after June 30, 2005) 146

(c) Except as provided in (e) and (f) of this section, a middle school teacher who holds a valid teaching certificate issued under AS 14.20.015 , AS 14.20.017 , AS 14.20.020 , or AS 14.20.022 , and who has

(1) achieved a score of 140 or higher on the Praxis II examination for Middle School Content Knowledge is highly qualified to teach

(A) sixth grade; and

(B) seventh and eighth grades, if the teacher teaches each of the core academic subjects of English, reading or language arts, mathematics, science, and history in one or both of those grades at the middle school; or

(2) obtained certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards as an early adolescent generalist is highly qualified to teach

(A) sixth grade; and

(B) seventh and eighth grades, if the teacher teaches each of the core academic subjects of English, reading or language arts, mathematics, science, and history in one or both of those grades at the middle school.

(d) Except as provided in (e) and (f) of this section, a teacher is highly qualified to teach a core academic subject in a high school or middle school if the teacher holds a valid teaching certificate issued under AS 14.20.015 , AS 14.20.017 , AS 14.20.020 , or AS 14.20.022 , and

(1) has a bachelor's or graduate degree in that subject from a regionally accredited institution of higher education;

(2) has completed 30 semester hours or equivalent in that subject from regionally accredited institutions of higher education;

(3) has obtained certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards in that subject;

(4) taught that subject in middle or high school in another state and was designated as highly qualified to teach that subject in middle or high school by that state, and if the designation was not revoked or withdrawn;

(5) meets the objective uniform standard set out in 4 AAC 04.212(b) for a highly qualified middle or high school teacher in that subject, if applicable;

(6) if a middle school teacher, has achieved the required score or higher on the Praxis II examination for that subject described in the following table:

Praxis II Examination Required Score Middle School English Language Arts - 0049 154 Middle School Mathematics - 0069 145 Middle School Science - 0439 136 Middle School Social Studies - 0089 147

or

(7) if a middle or high school teacher, has achieved the required score or higher on the Praxis II examination for that subject described in the following table:

Praxis II Examination Required Score Art Content Knowledge - 0133 155 Biology Content Knowledge - 0235 139 Chemistry Content Knowledge - 0245 139 Earth Science Content Knowledge - 0571 144 Economics - 0910 460 English Content Knowledge - 0041 158 French Content Knowledge - 0173 157 General Science Content Knowledge - 0435 149 General Science Content Knowledge, Part 1 - 0431 and Part 2 - 0432 Part 1: 146 Part 2: 138 Geography - 0920 590 German Content Knowledge - 0181 158 Government/Political Science - 0930 610 Math Content Knowledge - 0061 119 Musical Content Knowledge - 0113 148 Physical Science Content Knowledge - 0481 145 Physics Content Knowledge - 0265 129 Social Studies Content Knowledge - 0081 150 Spanish - 0191 152 Speech Communication - 0220 560 Theatre - 0640 560 World and U.S. History - 0940 (not offered by test publisher after June 30, 2005) 440 World and U.S. History - 0941 141

(e) A district may not consider highly qualified a teacher holding a certificate issued under AS 14.20.015 unless the district ensures that the teacher

(1) meets all of the requirements for a certificate under AS 14.20.020 ; or

(2) is receiving high-quality professional development that will enable the teacher to achieve certification under AS 14.20.020 within three years after the teacher was issued a certificate under AS 14.20.015 .

(f) A district may not consider highly qualified a teacher holding an emergency certificate issued under AS 14.20.020 (b)(2).

(g) The designation of a teacher as highly qualified under this section is for purposes of compliance with 20 U.S.C. 6301 - 7941 (Elementary and Secondary Education Act). Nothing in this section prevents the department, the Professional Teaching Practices Commission, or a district from taking any action authorized by law, including the use of other criteria for the evaluation of the ability, competence, or skill of a teacher.

(h) In this section, "core academic subject" means any of the following:

(1) English;

(2) reading or language arts;

(3) mathematics;

(4) science;

(5) foreign languages;

(6) civics and government;

(7) economics;

(8) music;

(9) theater;

(10) art;

(11) history;

(12) social studies;

(13) geography.

(i) Notwithstanding (a) of this section, a district that qualifies for eligibility for the small, rural school achievement program under 20 U.S.C. 7345(b) may employ a middle or high school teacher who is not highly qualified in all core academic subjects taught by the teacher if

(1) the teacher is highly qualified in at least one core academic subject taught by the teacher;

(2) the district provides professional development and other assistance to the teacher that is intended to result in the teacher becoming highly qualified in all core academic subjects taught by the teacher within the time allowed under this subsection; and

(3) for all core academic subjects taught by the teacher, the district requires the teacher to become highly qualified in those subjects

(A) within three years after the date of hire, if the district hired the teacher after March 15, 2004; or

(B) on or before July 1, 2007, if the district hired the teacher before March 15, 2004.

(j) Each district shall ensure that a special education teacher employed by the district is highly qualified to the same extent as other teachers under (a) of this section.

(k) Except as provided in (e) and (f) of this section, a teacher is highly qualified to teach special education if the teacher holds a valid teaching certificate issued under AS 14.20.015 , 14.20.017, 14.20.020, or 14.20.022, endorsed in special education under 4 AAC 12.330 or 4 AAC 12.340, and

(1) meets the applicable requirements of this section for the level and subject taught by the teacher, and for the teacher's employment experience;

(2) if the teacher teaches exclusively to the alternative performance standards described in 4 AAC 04.160, meets the requirements of (b)(5) of this section, regardless of the grade level in which the teacher teaches;

(3) if the teacher was employed as a teacher before July 1, 2002, and teaches multiple subjects at the middle school or high school level, meets the high objective uniform standard for high school or middle school special education teachers of multiple subjects set out in 4 AAC 04.212(g) ; or

(4) if the teacher is new to the profession and teaches multiple subjects at the middle school or high school level,

(A) is highly qualified in mathematics, language arts, or science under (d)(1) - (4) or (d)(6) - (7) of this section; and

(B) not later than two years after the date of employment, the district that employs the teacher determines, on a form prepared by the department, that the teacher meets the high objective uniform standard set out in 4 AAC 04.212(b) , or the high objective uniform standard for high school or middle school special education teachers of multiple subjects set out in 4 AAC 04.212(g) .

History: Eff. 6/13/2004, Register 170; am 3/5/2005, Register 173; am 11/10/2005, Register 176; am 1/19/2006, Register 177

Authority: AS 14.07.060

AS 14.20.020

AS 14.50.080

Editor's note: Information on national board certification may be obtained from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, 1525 Wilson Blvd. Suite 500 Arlington, VA 22209, or at www.nbpts.org. Information on the Praxis II examinations may be obtained from Educational Testing Services, Western Field Office, 2731 Systron Drive, Concord, CA 94518, or at www.ets.org.