FAQ's: Odds and Ends

Q: If I decide to take a Praxis II exam, how do I find out what test I need to take?
A: The State has listed the approved exams on their website and it is also listed on the NEA-Alaska website. You can register online for the test. www.ets.org  NOTE: The Alaska State School Board has not yet determined the cut scores for these tests and will not do so until next fall, so even if you take this test now you will not know if you have a passing score until next year.

Q: I passed the Praxis II test in my subject area in another state am I “highly qualified”?
A: After the Alaska State School Board sets the cut scores and if your score is a passing score by that standard, then yes, you are “highly qualified”? NOTE: ETS keeps scores up to 10 years.

Q: If I have National Board Certification does that make me “highly qualified”?
A: As of now, National Board Certified teachers will only be “highly qualified” IF their certification is in a core content subject area.  Since we do not know what the Alaska State School Board will do in their recommendations toward Nationally Board Certified teachers, we will just have to wait and see.  It should be noted that there are only 28 NBC teachers in the State of Alaska at this time.  

Q: I heard a passing score on the National Teacher's exam will allow me to be “highly qualified”, is that true?
A: Again, at this moment, it does not appear that the NTE will be accepted as a way to become “highly qualified”. We will just have to wait and see what the State School Board does in December 2003.

 Q: Do correspondence and charter school teachers have to be “highly qualified”?
A: Yes, DEED has stated that correspondence and charter school's staff must meet the “highly qualified” provisions of NCLB.

Q: Am I, the district or the state responsible to find out if I am “highly qualified”?
A: As a professional, you do have a responsibility to learn all you can about your own credentials and making sure you are “highly qualified” under NCLB. However, the district should be sharing some of the responsibility in checking your credentials, sharing that information with you and assisting you in ways to become “highly qualified”.   The district is required to report to the state the numbers and status of their “highly qualified” staff (both certificated and paraprofessionals) and how they plan to help staff become “highly qualified”.

Q: My administrator is telling staff this law will go away and we don't need to worry about becoming “highly qualified”. Should I be concerned?
A: The law is the law and ignoring it will not change it. You need to be proactive and make sure you are “highly qualified” under the requirements of NCLB. If this is happening, please contact NEA-Alaska and let us know so we can chat with DEED regarding your situation.

Q: I have a K-8 certification and my degree reads Elementary Education but I now am teaching Language Arts at the Middle School, am I “highly qualified”?
A: No, although your certification allows you to teach at the middle school, your degree is not in a content area.  You will need to fulfill the requirement for 7-12 teachers to become “highly qualified”.

Q: I am an elementary Music teacher with a degree (major) in Music and my certification reads K-12 Music, am I “highly qualified”?
A: Yes, your major is in Music and you are only teaching music. This also applies to elementary Art teachers.  If your degree was in Elementary Education and you were teaching Music, the answer would be No.

Q: I am a vocational education teacher and I give a dual credit in English and computers. Do I need to be “highly qualified”?
A: Yes, because you are giving a credit in a core content area.

Q: I am an elementary special education teacher with a degree and certification in special education, how do I become “highly qualified”?
A:  Elementary special education teachers need to follow the elementary K-6 route of becoming “highly qualified”. Secondary special education teachers must be “highly qualified” in core subject area they teach. This requirement may change when the reauthorization of IDEA is completed.

Q: I am one of two teachers in rural Alaska in a K-12 school. How do I go about becoming “highly qualified”?
A: Right now NCLB offers no adjustment for rural schools and multiple grade levels. The law states teachers must be “highly qualified” in each core subject area they teach.  This is a situation in which the HOUSE might be used to fulfill the requirement of “highly qualified”.