Highly Qualified Requirements (General Education and SPED)Charter School Institute

Agenda• HQ Webinar• Title I • HQ Requirements for schools• HQ Requirements for teachers and paras• Elementary• Secondary• 6th & 7/8 (middle)

• EDIS• Documentation• Resources• SPED HQ

Highly Qualified WebinarHighly Qualified and Title I webinar will occur in early summer

Principal AttestationParent Right to KnowHighly Qualified requirements review

Title I School Designation

Determined by CSI Federal Programs based on percentage of students who qualify for free or reduced price meals• School Wide• Targeted Assistance• Not served

Highly Qualified RequirementsTitle I School Wide schools must have all teachers HQ upon hireTitle I Part A funds recipient (targeted assistance)

Teachers paid with funds must be HQ upon hireAll others can have a plan for HQ by the end of the school year

Schools not receiving any Title I money must have HQ teachers, but teachers can have a plan to become HQ by the end of the school year

HQ compliance is confirmed through Title I requirements (Principal Attestation) and the Human Resources Snapshot Report.

Highly Qualified Teacher Requirements

1. Degree2. License3. Subject Matter

Competency

Highly Qualified Teachers

Degree: Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university

Foreign transcripts must be “translated” into US equivalencies for a Bachelor’s Degree

Highly Qualified Teachers

License • All CSI schools are waived from this requirement • Degree and Subject Matter Competency still required• License Waiver does not apply to SPED teachers in

charter schools

Just because a teacher has a license or a license with an endorsement in elementary, does not necessarily mean they are HQ in elementary!

Highly Qualified TeachersSubject Matter Competency for Elementary (K-6) Teachers• Core content teachers (math, science, writing, reading, social

studies)• Pass a recognized Elementary Education content assessment

(PLACE or PRAXIS II) (approved out of state test) OR• Pass the elementary HOUSSE provision for veteran teachers

• Specials teachers (foreign language, art, drama, music)• Pass a recognized Elementary Education content assessment

(PLACE or PRAXIS II) (approved out of state test) OR• Pass the elementary HOUSSE provision for veteran teachers OR• Complete 24 hours of coursework in teaching subject area or

pass the PLACE or Praxis II exam for the teaching subject area• PE, Technology, and business teachers need not be HQ

Highly Qualified Teachers-Elementary

Highly Qualified Teachers

Subject Matter Competency for Secondary (6-12) TeachersOne of the following that matches the subject area assignment:

• Bachelor’s degree or higher• Subject area content assessment (PLACE, PRAXIS II or

National Board Content Assessment)• Endorsement• National Board Certification• 24 hours of coursework or PD (includes specific

requirements) • Pass a multi-subject HOUSSE

Highly Qualified Teachers-Secondary

Highly Qualified Teachers

Middle Schools and Subject Matter Competency• 6th Grade: If a 6th grade teacher is teaching in a general elementary setting, the

teacher must meet the elementary requirements to be Highly Qualified. In contrast, if a 6th grade teacher teaches in a traditional middle school setting, where the teacher is a content specialist, then the teacher has the option of meeting the elementary or secondary Highly Qualified requirements.

• 7th and 8th Grade: If a 7th and 8th grade teacher is teaching in a setting similar to an elementary classroom (i.e., teaching three or more core content classes to the same set of students), then the teacher may meet the elementary Highly Qualified requirements. In contrast, if the 7th and 8th grade teacher teaches in a traditional middle school setting where the teacher is a content specialist, then the teacher must meet the secondary Highly Qualified requirements.

Highly Qualified Teachers-Middle (or 7-8 in K-8)

Highly Qualified Paraprofessionals

Highly Qualified Paraprofessional:

1. High School Diploma or its equivalent (GED)

2. Subject Matter Competency

EDIS Numbers• Each staff member will be reported on the HR report, and must

have an Educator Identifier System (EDIS) number• Please see the CSI website for additional information on this

process

• Contact for EDIS numbers: Office Administrator, 303-866-3299

Contact Information for HQ and Title I

Title/Federal Programs Questions- Glennon Stratton, Federal Programs Coordinator glennonstratton@csi.state.co.us

Highly Qualified Documentation

Typically, LEAs are required to maintain the evidence, either electronically or in hard copy, that demonstrates that a teacher is Highly Qualified.

Due to the unique nature of CSI, HQ documentation shall be kept at

the school level.

Highly Qualified Documentation Documentation should include, but is not limited to, the following:• Evidence that the teacher has a current license• A copy of the score report from a content test assessment• College transcripts and the school transcript review• Documentation of participation in, and relevance of, professional

developmentThis data will be collected through the December 1 count for both the general HR and SPED HR data collection

Note: The LEA is typically also responsible for determining whether a teacher’s coursework is related to the content area(s) being taught to fulfill the Highly Qualified subject matter competency requirement; however, CSI schools should make this determination. CSI will monitor this requirement during any site visits.

Highly Qualified Documentation Suggestions for Documentation:

• HR File Cover Sheet, available at: http://ccsi.ss3.sharpschool.com/UserFiles/Servers/Server_2345071/File/School%20Resources/Highly_Qualified_Checklist_Final.pdf• Copy of License• Copy of Test Results • Copy of Transcripts

If transcript hours are used for subject matter competency purposes, the transcripts or a separate document should demonstrate what hours were counted toward the requirement.

References• CSI Highly Qualified Webpage:• Principal Attestation Form• HR File Cover Sheet• CSI Four Week Rule Document• CSI Parent Right to Know Document

http://www.csi.state.co.us/cms/One.aspx?portalId=2345155&pageId=2412434

• CDE Website:• HQ Handbook• List of out of state tests

http://www.cde.state.co.us/FedPrograms/tii/a_hqt.asp

ReferencesPLACE Exam Website:http://www.place.nesinc.com/index.asp

PRAXIS Exam Website:http://www.ets.org/praxis/about

SPECIAL EDUCATION

Special Education TeachersAll Special Education Teachers and Special Service Providers must hold a current License and/or Endorsement in their area (IDEA & ECEA)

Special Education Teachers : Special Education Generalist: http://www.cde.state.co.us/cdeprof/download/pdf/addendwksheets/generalistreqmts.pdf

For added endorsement (Content) competency must be demonstrated by:a. Documented evidence of 24 semester hours of college level

coursework from a regionally accredited college or university in each of the areas listed below (with 2.6 overall degree

GPA)-which may include a maximum of 6 semester hours of documented professional development or work experienceOR b. A passing score on the Special Education Generalist PLACE exam #20

SPED Licensing RequirementsRequirements for a Colorado Initial Special Services License &

Specialists i.e. EC, Visual, Deaf/HH, Audiologist, Counselor, Psychologist, Social Work, etc.

1.A bachelor’s or higher degree* from a regionally accredited college/university institution,

2.Successful completion of a state approved special services preparation program at a regionally accredited institution of higher education, and3.Additional requirements as follows (next page)

*Special Service Provider Requirements: http://www.cde.state.co.us/cdeprof/Licensure_ssp.asp

Special Education Specialists

Early Childhood Special Education Specialist, Ages Birth to 8• PLACE Early Childhood Special Education assessment• Completion of an approved undergraduate program in early childhood education, or in

early childhood special education, and • Completion of an approved post-baccalaureate, early childhood special education specialist

program

Special Education Specialist: Visually Impaired, Ages Birth to 21Master’s degree or higher in an approved program for the preparation of special education specialists: visually impaired from a regionally accredited institution of higher education

Special Education Specialist: Deaf/Hard of Hearing, Ages Birth to 21Master’s degree or higher or its equivalent in an approved program for the preparation of special education specialists: deaf/hard of hearing, from regionally accredited institution of higher education

Special Service Providers

School Audiologist• AuD or PhD in School Audiology, and• Praxis II Audiology exam #10340

School Counselor• Master's Degree in School Counseling; State approved school counseling program,• Practicum, and • PLACE School Counselor exam

School Nurse (option 1)• Bachelors of Science in Nursing, and • Valid Colorado Registered Nurse License

School Nurse (option 2)• Bachelors degree,• Current national certification in school nursing, and• Three years of experience in school nursing

Special Service Providers School Occupational Therapist• Bachelor's Degree• AOTA accredited occupational therapy program,• internship or supervised field experience, and• National exam through NCBOT

School Orientation & Mobility Specialist• Bachelor's Degree,• Approved preparation program for school orientation and mobility specialists,• Practicum,• ACVREP exam, and• ACVREP orientation and mobility certificate

School Physical Therapist• Bachelor's Degree,• APTA accredited physical therapy program,• Practicum• Valid Colorado Physical Therapist License issued by the Colorado Department of Regulatory

Agencies

Special Service Providers School Psychologist• State approved sixth-year specialist program (60-graduate semester hours) or doctoral program for

school psychologist, serving children birth 0-21,• Internship,• Praxis II School Psychologist Exam #10401 or NCSP certification (*Prior to 9/13/08 test code #10400)

School Social Worker• MSW, including coursework in school and special education law;• Practicum including one placement w/ school aged children; and,• ASWB Clinical, PLACE School Social Worker exam, or Colorado LCSW issued by the Colorado

Department of Regulatory Agencies School Speech-Language Pathologist• Master's Degree in Communication Disorders or Speech-Language Pathology;• Speech-language pathology program accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation (CAA) in

audiology and speech-language pathology of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA);

• Practicum; and• ASHA certification or Praxis II Speech-Language Pathology Exam #20330

Special Education Compliance Annually April 1st

All changes in systemic methods of providing special education services must be reported to CSI ES Department: (i.e. cancelled contracts with private company & switch to independent contracts).

August 1st (Compliance Checks)All Special Education Staff including Special Education teachers and Related Service providers must be reported to the CSI Department of Exceptional Students (Use Highly Qualified Checklist)

http://www.csi.state.co.us/pages/Charter_School_Institute/Highly_Qualified

Questions?