HIGHLY QUALIFIED AND NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND
As part of Title I compliance to Elementary and Secondary Education Act, also called No Child Left Behind (NCLB), the
Office of Human Capital -- Licensure and Highly Qualified will monitor staff who meet the criteria for “Highly Qualified”
status. As of June 30, 2006, all core academic subject teachers are required to meet the standards for Highly Qualified. In
order to meet the requirements for NCLB, the Human Capital Office will implement measures to monitor and improve
Highly Qualified compliance.
PARENT’S RIGHT TO KNOW
Parents will be informed through the SY 12-13 Family Information Handbook about the information they are legally
entitled to request about their child’s teacher or paraprofessional. The Family Information Handbook will be packed home
with kids the week of August 27, 2012.
Schools and/or districts must notify parents of their right to request information about theses qualifications. In Baltimore
City Public Schools, parent’s notification is issued in the Family Information Handbook. Parents must be aware of their
rights to know and may request information regarding their child’s teacher or paraeducator.
Parents can request the following information:
1. Whether the teacher has met State qualification and licensing criteria for the grade levels and subject areas in
which the teacher provides instruction;
2. Whether the teacher is teaching under emergency or other provisional status through which State qualification
or licensing criteria have been waived;
3. The baccalaureate degree major of the teacher and any other graduate certification or degree held by the
teacher, and the field of discipline of the certification or degree;
4. Whether the child is provided services by paraeducators and, if so, their qualifications.
Communication templates and additional information can be found by going to
www.bcpss.org/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp and clicking the link for Highly Qualified Resources under the School
Information heading. Additionally, Human Capital Specialists are available to assist schools with any questions regarding
your report.
NON HIGHLY QUALIFIED PARENT NOTIFICATION
Parents who have a child receiving instruction from a teacher or long-term substitute for four or more consecutive weeks
who is not considered Highly Qualified, based on assignment and certification, must be notified starting no later than
September 17, 2012. The Office of Human Capital -- Licensure and Highly Qualified will send the initial written notification
to parents of non-Highly Qualified Teachers alerting them that they may request information regarding the professional
qualifications of the teachers in question. Subsequent four-week letters will be sent by the school to notify parents if their
child is being taught by a nonHighly Qualified teacher. For planning purposes, parent notification dates are provided
below.
*September 17, 2012
February 4, 2013
October 15, 2012
March 4, 2013
November 12, 2012
April 5, 2013
December 10, 2012
April 29, 2013
January 7, 2013
May 27, 2013
*notifications sent from the Office of Human Capital
HIGHLY QUALIFIED ATTESTATION
Additionally, Per NCLB the district requires principals of each school operating a Title I school wide program or Title I
targeted assistance program to attest, in writing, as to whether their school is in compliance with Highly Qualified
requirements. Attestation forms are the Title I school’s verification of teacher and paraeducator Highly Qualified status.
Highly Qualified Attestation forms will be due to Human Capital by September 21, 2012. Guidance will be provided via
City Schools Inside no later than September 3, 2012.
Office of Human Capital-Licensure and Highly Qualified
Approved 08/2012
Highly Qualified Quick Guide
HIGHLY QUALIFIED REQUIREMENTS
CORE ACADEMIC SUBJECTS
 ALL TEACHERS IN CORE ACADEMIC AREAS MUST BE HQ
 NEW TEACHER (HIRED AFTER 01.08.02)
o
BACHELOR DEGREE
o
FULL STATE CERTIFICATION
o
DEMONSTRATE CONTENT KNOWLEDGE (PRAXIS
TESTING)
 EXPERIENCED TEACHER (HIRED BEFORE 01.08.02)
o BACHELOR'S DEGREE
o FULL STATE CERTIFICATION
 TITLE I PROGRAM TEACHERS MUST BE HQ IMMEDIATELY
 TITLE I TARGETED-ASSISTANCE SCHOOLS TEACHERS PAID
WITH TITLE 1 FUNDS NEED TO BE HQ IMMEDIATELY




EARLY CHILDHOOD
ELEMENTARY
ART, MUSIC, DANCE, DRAMA/THEATER
SOCIAL STUDIES: CIVICS AND GOVERNMENT, HISTORY, GEOGRAPHY,
ECONOMICS




ENGLISH AND ESOL
READING OR LANGUAGE ARTS
MATHEMATICS
SCIENCE: BIOLOGY, CHEMISTRY, EARTH/SPACE, PHYSICAL,
PHYSICS, ENVIRONMENTAL, GENERAL
 FOREIGN LANGUAGES
 SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHERS MUST BE HIGHLY QUALIFIED FOR
EACH OF THE ABOVE AREAS WHERE THEY ARE A TEACHER OF
RECORD (A STUDENT’S SOLE INSTRUCTOR AND ASSESSOR)
HOUSSE
HIGH, OBJECTIVE, UNIFORM STATE STANDARD OF
EVALUATION (HOUSSE): NCLB ALLOWS STATES TO
DEVELOP AN ADDITIONAL WAY FOR EXPERIENCED TEACHERS
TO DEMONSTRATE SUBJECT-MATTER COMPETENCY AND
MEET HIGHLY QUALIFIED TEACHER REQUIREMENTS.
MARYLAND’S HOUSSE
 IF A TEACHER HOLDS AN APC AND COMPLETED AT
LEAST ONE YEAR OF WORK TOWARDS THE APC IN
THE 2006-2007 SCHOOL YEAR OR PRIOR, THEN
HE OR SHE IS ELIGIBLE FOR HOUSSE IN REGULAR
EDUCATION SETTINGS
 SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHERS MUST HAVE AN
SPC OR APC AND HAVE COMPLETED ONE YEAR OF
EXPERIENCE IN 2010-2011 OR PRIOR
 HOUSSE FORMS COMPLETED MUST BE APPROVED
BY THE OFFICE OF HUMAN CAPITAL TO ADD HQ
CERTIFICATION
TO MAINTAIN HQ STATUS, A TEACHER IN CORE ACADEMIC SUBJECTS
MUST BE CERTIFIED WITH AN RTC, SPCI, SPCII, OR APC IN A
QUALIFYING FIELD AND SATISFY THE APPLICABLE REQUIREMENTS
BELOW.
 EARLY CHILDHOOD/ELEMENTARY (NEW TEACHER)
o PASS STATE TESTS THAT ASSESS SUBJECT KNOWLEDGE AND
TEACHING SKILLS IN READING, WRITING, MATH, AND OTHER
AREAS OF BASIC EARLY CHILDHOOD OR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
CURRICULUM
 MIDDLE OR SECONDARY TEACHER (NEW TEACHER)
o PASS THE APPLICABLE STATE CONTENT TEST IN EACH OF THE
CORE ACADEMIC SUBJECTS IN WHICH THE TEACHER IS TEACHING,
ELIGIBILITY

HOUSSE WILL NO LONGER BE AVAILABLE AS AN
OPTION TO ACHIEVE HQ STATUS AFTER JUNE 30,
2014
o
HIGHLY QUALIFIED REQUIREMENTS-PARAPROFESSIONALS
THIS REQUIREMENT APPLIES TO PARAPROFESSIONALS WHO
EACH OF THE CORE ACADEMIC SUBJECT AREAS IN WHICH THE
TEACHER IS TEACHING
*TEACHERS ASSIGNED TO GRADES 7TH AND 8TH HOLDING
CERTIFICATION IN ELEMENTARY GRADES 1-6 & MIDDLE MUST
HAVE AN ADVANCED PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATE (APC)AND
AN APPROVED HOUSSE FORM ON FILE WITH HUMAN CAPITAL. *
PROVIDE INSTRUCTIONAL SERVICES AND WHO WORK IN A
PROGRAM SUPPORTED WITH TITLE I FUNDS.
PARAEDUCATORS ARE NEVER HQ AS A TEACHER OF RECORD.
TITLE I PARAPROFESSIONALS WHOSE DUTIES INCLUDE
INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORT MUST HAVE:
o COMPLETED TWO YEARS OF STUDY (48 CREDITS)
OR AN ASSOCIATE’S DEGREE AT A REGIONALLY
ACCREDITED INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION;
OR
o PASSED A FORMAL STATE OR LOCAL ACADEMIC
ASSESSMENT, DEMONSTRATING KNOWLEDGE OF
AND THE ABILITY TO ASSIST IN INSTRUCTING
READING, WRITING, AND MATHEMATICS
Office of Human Capital-Licensure and Highly Qualified
OR
COMPLETING AN ACADEMIC MAJOR OR COURSE WORK
EQUIVALENT TO A MAJOR (30 CREDIT HOURS WITH 50% AT
THE UPPER DIVISION LEVEL), A GRADUATE DEGREE, OR AN
ADVANCED CERTIFICATION (ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL BOARD
FOR PROFESSIONAL TEACHING STANDARDS AND/OR AN
ADVANCED PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATE ISSUED BY MSDE) IN

EARLY CHILDHOOD/ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE, SECONDARY
TEACHER, OR K-12 (ART AND MUSIC) (EXPERIENCED TEACHER)
o MEET THE APPLICABLE STANDARDS LISTED FOR TEACHERS
NEW TO THE PROFESSION, OR
o DEMONSTRATE COMPETENCY IN EACH OF THE CORE ACADEMIC
SUBJECTS IN WHICH THE TEACHER IS TEACHING BASED ON
HOUSSE FORMS COMPLETED AND APPROVED BY THE OFFICE
OF HUMAN CAPITAL PRIOR TO THE CONCLUSION OF SY 2013-
2014.
Approved 08/2012