NEW JERSEY’S MODEL FOR
HIGHLY QUALIFIED TEACHERS
Identifying Excellence
Recognizing Achievement
Supporting Professional Learning
Jay Doolan, Director
Office of Academic and Professional Standards
Barbara Gantwerk, Director
Office of Special Education Programs
New Jersey Department of Education
At a Glance:
No consequences to individual teachers in terms
of job loss if teachers do not yet satisfy the
federal standard of a Highly Qualified Teacher.
 DOE provides orientation to districts and sets
state goals.
 Districts provide teachers with training and
support, and summarize data.
 Forms completed by November 3.
 Most teachers must meet definition by end of
2005-06 school year.

No Child Left Behind Act-2001
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Places major emphasis on teacher quality as a
factor in improving student achievement.
Emphasizes academic content in teacher
preparation,
induction,
and
professional
development.
Requires states to develop plans with annual
measurable objectives to ensure that all teachers
in core academic subjects are highly qualified by
the end of the 2005-2006 school year.
NJDOE Response
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Proposed Licensing Regulations
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Middle school teachers
Special education teachers
Professional standards for teachers and
administrators
Content-focused professional development
Praxis II exams for middle grades
The Highly Qualified Teacher

To satisfy the federal definition of Highly
Qualified, teachers must:
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Have at least a Bachelor’s degree;
Have valid state certification for which no
requirements have been waived (i.e., no
emergency certificates); and
Demonstrate content expertise in the core
academic subject(s) they teach.
What are the
Core Academic Subjects?

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NCLB’s core academic subjects:
English
Science
Government
Lang. Arts Math
Geography
Reading
History
Economics
Arts
Civics
Foreign Langs.
These align with the CCCS:
Lang. Arts Literacy
Science
Social Studies
Math
Visual & Perf. Arts
World Langs.
Who Must Satisfy the Federal
Definition of a Highly Qualified
Teacher?
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Elementary Teachers (incl. bilingual and Title I)
(self-contained, all subjects);
Middle and Secondary Teachers in core academic
subjects (incl. bilingual and Title I); and
Special Education and ESL Teachers who provide
direct instruction in one or more core academic
subjects.
Who is Exempt from Meeting
the Federal Definition of a
Highly Qualified Teacher?
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Teachers who provide direct instruction in:
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Health and Physical Education
Technological Literacy
Business and Vocational Education
Career Education, Family, Consumer and Life
Skills (Practical Arts)
Education Services Personnel (i.e., speech
teachers, guidance counselors, child study
team members, physical therapists)
Definitions

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New Teacher: Novice in his or her first year of
teaching.
Newly Hired Teacher: Experienced teacher in
his or her first year in a new district.
Veteran Teacher:
 Title I Schools/Programs - One hired before
2002-2003;
 Non-Title I Schools - One hired before
2005-2006.
The Timeline for Compliance
Title I Schools and
Non-Title I Schools
Programs (school-wide and Programs
& targeted assistance)
New and Newly Hired teachers
hired after the first day of the
2002-2003 school year must be
highly qualified when hired.
Veteran teachers must be highly
qualified by the end of the
2005-2006 school year.
New, Newly Hired and Veteran
Teachers must be highly
qualified by the end of the
2005-2006 school year.
To Demonstrate Content Expertise
Highly Qualified
Elementary Teachers

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Pass a rigorous state test (i.e., NTE or Praxis II
Elementary Education: Content Knowledge
Test)
Or
Document 10 points on the NJ HOUSE
Standard (This option is not available to new
teachers in Title I schools and programs).
To Demonstrate Content Expertise
Highly Qualified Middle School
Teachers
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Pass the appropriate state test(s) (i.e., NTE or
Praxis II) for the subject(s) they teach; or
Have an undergraduate major, a 30 credit
sequence of courses or a graduate degree in the
subject(s) they teach; or
Have an advanced credential (i.e., NBPTS
certification) in their subject(s);
or
Document 10 points on the NJ HOUSE Standard
(This option is not available to new teachers in
Title I schools and programs).
To Demonstrate Content Expertise
Highly Qualified
Secondary Teachers
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Pass the appropriate state test(s) (i.e., NTE or
Praxis II) for the subject(s) they teach; or
Have an undergraduate major, a 30 credit
sequence of courses or a graduate degree in
the subject(s) they teach; or
Have an advanced credential (i.e., NBPTS
certification) in their subject(s);
or
Document 10 points on the NJ HOUSE
Standard (This option is not available to new
teachers in Title I schools and programs).
Highly Qualified Special
Education Teachers Providing
Direct Content Instruction
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Elementary Special Education teachers
(including those in self-contained classes in
grades 6-8) must satisfy the federal definition
of a Highly Qualified Teacher at the elementary
level.
Middle (departmentalized) and secondary
Special Education teachers must satisfy the
definition based on the grade level of the
curriculum they teach rather than the age of
the students. This may mean satisfying
elementary, middle and/or secondary levels.
Highly Qualified ESL Teachers
Providing Direct Content
Instruction
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Elementary ESL teachers must satisfy the
federal definition of a Highly Qualified Teacher
at the elementary level.
Middle and Secondary ESL teachers must
satisfy the definition based on the grade level
of the curriculum they teach rather than the
age of the students. This may mean satisfying
elementary, middle and/or secondary levels.
Paperwork: What Forms Will
Teachers Need?
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Five NJ Highly Qualified Teacher Identification
forms for:
 Holders of Elementary, ESL and Special
Education certification teaching self-contained
elementary grades
 Holders of Elementary certification teaching in
departmentalized middle schools
 Holders of Middle/Secondary Content Area
certification
 Holders of Special Education certification
teaching in departmentalized
middle/secondary schools
 Holders of K-12 Content or ESL certification
Forms
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A NJ HOUSE Standard: Content Knowledge
Matrix
A Statement of Assurance
A Statement of Assurance specific to new &
newly hired teachers in Title I
Schools/programs
Paperwork: How Many Forms Do
Teachers Complete?
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Teachers complete a separate NJ Highly Qualified
Teacher Identification form for each current
teaching assignment they have and for each
additional certificate they hold for which they do
not have a current teaching assignment.
(Teaching Assignment: the grade level and/or
core subject taught. Teaching all subjects in a
self-contained class or teaching multiple sections
of the same course count as one assignment.)
Reviewing the NJ Highly Qualified
Teacher Identification Form
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Elementary and Special Ed. (Elementary)
teachers who have passed a state test satisfy the
federal definition of a Highly Qualified Teacher.
Those who have not passed a state test must
complete a NJ HOUSE Standard Matrix to see if
they satisfy the definition of a Highly Qualified
Teacher using the NJ HOUSE Standard.
Reviewing the NJ Highly Qualified
Teacher Identification Form

Teachers in departmentalized middle and
secondary schools who either:
 Passed a state test in the subject(s) they
teach; or
 Have an undergraduate major, 30 credits, or a
graduate degree in the subject(s) they teach;
or
 Have an advanced credential (i.e., NBPTS
certification) in the subject(s) they teach
satisfy the federal definition of a Highly Qualified
Teacher.
Reviewing the NJ Highly Qualified
Teacher Identification Form
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Veteran teachers (including experienced
teachers newly hired in Title I school-wide and
targeted assistance programs) who do not
satisfy the definition using the NJ Highly
Qualified Teacher Identification form, must
complete a NJ HOUSE Standard Matrix to see if
they satisfy the definition of a Highly Qualified
Teacher for that content area using the NJ
HOUSE Standard.
The NJ HOUSE* Standard
(*High Objective Uniform State
Evaluation Standard)
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The NJ HOUSE Standard provides an
alternative way for veteran teachers to
demonstrate that they are highly qualified to
teach core academic content.
Teachers who do not satisfy the federal
definition of a Highly Qualified Teacher in one
or more core academic content areas for which
they have teaching assignments must complete
a NJ HOUSE Standard: Content Knowledge
Matrix form for each such assignment.
The NJ HOUSE Standard:
Content Knowledge Matrix

The Content Knowledge Matrix allows teachers
to demonstrate content expertise in each core
academic subject they teach through options
in five categories:
 Content Area College Coursework
 Content Area Professional Activities
 Content Area Teaching Activities
 NBPTS Elementary Generalist Certification
 Successful Content Area Teaching
Performance
The NJ HOUSE Standard:
Content Knowledge Matrix
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Teachers who document 10 points on the
Content Knowledge Matrix satisfy the definition
of a Highly Qualified Teacher.
Teachers who do not have 10 points on the
Content Knowledge Matrix have until the end of
the 2005-2006 school year to either:
 Pass a state test of content knowledge for
core academic subject(s) and level(s) they
teach; or
 Accumulate 10 points for each core
academic subject/level by participating in
activities listed on the Content Knowledge
Matrix.
What Documentation Might Teachers
Need to Complete the Forms?
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Copies of all college transcripts; and
Documentation of content-related professional
development activity for the last four years for
each core academic area teaching assignment.
Districts may also request for verification
purposes:
 Copies of score report(s) for state tests (i.e.,
NTE or Praxis II exams)
 Copies of National Board certificate(s)
The Statement of Assurance
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The Statement of Assurance provides a onepage summary of the content areas and/or
certificates for which teachers:
 Satisfy the federal requirement using the NJ
Highly Qualified Teacher Identification form;
 Satisfy the federal requirement using the NJ
HOUSE Standard;
 Do not yet satisfy the federal requirement
using the NJ HOUSE Standard:
There is a separate Statement of Assurance for
new teachers in Title I schools/programs
because they do not have the option to use the
NJ HOUSE Standard.
When Must Paperwork be
Completed and What Happens
Next?
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Completion of all forms is due by November 3,
2003.
Forms will be kept on file at the building level and
will be used to compile data about the numbers
and categories of highly qualified teachers for
school, district and state reports required by
NCLB.
How Often Must Forms be
Completed?
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The NJ Highly Qualified Teacher Identification
form will be completed this year. Additional
certificates or changes in assignment might
mean having to complete additional forms.
The NJ HOUSE Standard:Content Area Matrix
should be completed annually for any area(s) for
which a teacher has not yet documented 10
points.
A New Statement of Assurance would update the
summary of information only when changes
occur.
A Word About Teachers in
Departmentalized Middle Schools
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The Praxis II content knowledge tests for the
middle grades are expected to be available in
NJ early in 2004 once standard setting has
been completed.
New middle school (departmentalized)
teachers in Title I schools and programs must
take the appropriate content knowledge
exam(s) when they become available.
A Word About Special Education
Teachers Who Provide Support
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The department is waiting for the final
reauthorization of the Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
There may be requirements for Special
Education teachers who provide consultation
and support (in-class or pull-out) or who coteach with content area instructors in general
education settings.
Title I Parent Letters
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Parent letter regarding rights to inquire about
teachers’ credentials should go to parents of
students in Title I funded programs in
September.
Parent letter regarding credentials of specific
teachers who have not yet satisfied the
definition of a Highly Qualified Teacher should
go to parents of students in Title I funded
programs in mid-November.
The NJDOE Commitment
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The department is committed to supporting
district and individual efforts to ensure that all
teachers in core academic subjects are highly
qualified by the end of 2005-2006 and will:
 Provide updated information if and as
changes are made at the federal level;
 Provide training to districts and schools on
the use of the NJ Model for Identifying
Highly Qualified Teachers;
 Provide support through the department
website, offering downloadable forms,
frequently asked questions and an email
address to facilitate communication with
the field.
Resources for Assistance with
Questions and Support
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The NJ Model for Identifying Highly Qualified
Teachers is available for download from the
following site:
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Send email questions to:
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http://www.state.nj.us/njded/educators/
HQTeachers@doe.state.nj.us
Call the Office of Academic and Professional
Standards at 609-984-5322
Contact regional and county offices