The purpose of this communiqué is to explain/clarify how the term "highly qualified," used in the reauthorized Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) 2004, impacts special education teachers in Michigan.  It also has detailed information on how to do a portfolio to show highly qualifed status.

This is an UPDATED list dated Ocotber 2005 and it has some new info, gotta love it.  This one is worth reading.  Open it up and so a search on the certification you are questioning.  You may find some good answers.

A variable that dramatically distinguishes states' highly qualified teacher definitions, as mandated by the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001, is their approach to the "high objective state standard of evaluation" (HOUSSE). The HOUSSE is used to evaluate an existing teacher’s subject-matter competency as an alternative to an examination, major, major equivalency, graduate degree or advanced certification in the core content area taught [ESEA, Section 9101(23)(c)].   The information in this link references Michigan's interpretation and progress toward creating this evaluation tool.

CX – What am I Highly Qualified to teach in 2006-2007 with a CX endorsement?

Updated 1/12/06 – This is new and it is Good  =)

 

If you have the CX endorsement with a Major you are highly qualified to teach courses named “Social Studies” and you are highly qualified to teach in the other areas (Economics, Geography , History, Political Science, Psychology,

Sociology, Anthropology, Cultural Studies and/or Behavioral Studies)  IF you can show that you have coursework in each of these areas as a part of your major.  What we need to do is sit down with a copy of your transcripts with a hi-liter and see what we can find.  Now, if you also passed the MTTC test for CX, then you are highly qualified in ALL the CX areas.  

 

If you have the CX endorsement with a Minor you still need to demonstrate highly qualified status through the qualification criteria established by HOUSSE.  If you pass the MTTC test for CX you are all set for everything under the CX.  If you pass the MTTC test for one or more of the areas under the CX then you are highly qualified for that area or areas.   So if you take and pass the CC & CA tests, you would be highly qualified for History & Economics.  If you pass the MTTC test for CX, you are highly qualified for Economics, Geography , History, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology, Cultural Studies and Behavioral Studies.

 

If you have the CX and have passed the MTTC test for CX or RX, you are highly qualified to teach courses named “Social Studies” and you are highly qualified to teach anything under your CX or RX.

This is different from what we were told in December and this is much more flexible than what the old rules were.  This information came directly from Dr. Frank Ciloski who is the top man at MDE for highly qualified information. 

 

You are not highly qualified to teach History with a CX unless you have a CX major or you  take and pass the MTTC test for History CC or the MTTC test for CX.  Or you meet the other qualification criteria established by HOUSSE.

  

Now, the RX is different.  If you have an RX, you had to have taken the RX test and it gives you Highly Qualified status for all the areas under the RX certification -- Economics, Geography , History and Political Science.

 

III. Social Studies

 

Social studies teachers in Michigan either have the newer Social Studies (RX) or Social Science (CX) endorsement.  The Social Studies endorsement program replaced the Social Science endorsement program in 1995 with revised standards and is limited to four core academic subjects (history, geography, economics, and political science/government/civics).

• The MDE has determined that middle and high school experienced/veteran and new teachers who hold the Social Studies (RX) endorsement based on having completed a major or minor meet the NCLB highly qualified designation for each of the individual subjects covered by that endorsement (these teachers are required to pass the MTTC social studies examination prior to certification/endorsement).  Those teachers who hold the Social Science (CX) endorsement based on having completed a major, which included content coursework in history, geography, political science and economics are also highly qualified to teach in each of the subjects covered by that endorsement.
• Teachers who hold the social science (CX) endorsement based on having completed a minor must use one of the NCLB or HOUSSE options for demonstrating that they are highly qualified to teach the social science/social studies classes to which they are assigned.
• It is inappropriate to assign a teacher with an individual social studies or social science subject endorsement such as history, or geography to teach a general social studies class.  Only a teacher with the social studies (RX) or social science (CX) endorsement can be assigned to teach a general social studies class or course.