Introduction

Human Resources and Information Technology has developed a process for the identification of highly qualified teachers using a proprietary software program, SearchSoft Solutions, Inc. The identification of highly qualified teachers is required under the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001.

The State of Florida Department of Education (D.O.E.) requires M-DCPS to report teacher quality data for instructional employees to be transmitted periodically to the state.

No Child Left Behind does not require veteran teachers to return to school or get a degree in every subject that they teach to demonstrate they are highly qualified. The law allows the district to provide an alternate method for experienced teachers to demonstrate subject-matter competency that recognizes, among other things, the experience, expertise, and professional training garnered over time in the profession.

The High, Objective, Uniform State Standard of Evaluation (HOUSSE) is a key component to the highly qualified teacher definition. Essentially, it can be used to assess an existing teacher’s subject matter competency as an alternative to an examination, major, or graduate degree in the core content area taught.

The HOUSSE plan is not limited to, but is especially applicable to the following types of teaching assignments:

• Elementary ESE teachers who do not meet the highly qualified requirements for general elementary education in addition to the appropriate certification to match the ESE table in the Course Code Directory.
  
  
• Secondary teachers certified in an exceptional student education area who teach one of more academic core contents.
  
  
• Teachers of a foreign language who are highly qualified native speakers in one of the foreign languages for which there is no subject area examination available.
  
  
• Teachers of multiple core academic subjects to hospital or homebound students.
  
  
• Teachers of multiple core academic subjects in alternative settings.
  
  
• Exchange teachers who hold the equivalent of an acceptable bachelor’s degree or higher and a valid Exchange Teacher Certificate.