The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 requires the Board of Education to have 100% of its core academic classes taught by highly qualified teachers by the end of the school year 2005-2006. The core academic subjects include the arts, reading/language arts, English, foreign language, mathematics, science, civics and government, economics, geography, and history. West Virginia defines the arts as dance, music, theatre, and visual art.
The Board shall adopt policies and the Superintendent shall develop administrative guidelines to meet this target. The Board shall also develop and implement a plan to achieve this goal in compliance with Title I and Title II legislation which will describe how this Board will meet the requirements of 1119 and describe the strategy to coordinate programs with Title II to provide professional development in accordance with 1119. The plan should be reflected in the Board's Five (5) Year Strategic Plan to support student learning and include, at a minimum, the following components:
| | A. | Analyze data and identify deficiencies. The plan should ensure data accuracy, identify problem areas and collect additional data.
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| | | | a. | communicate the necessity for accurate data to all staff who enter data
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| | | | b. | verify course codes entered for classes
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| | | | c. | verify teacher certification codes
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| | | | d. | ensure that all of each teachers' certification codes are included
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| | | | a. | involve staff members from personnel, Title I, Title II, certification, WVEIS, principals, and other necessary staff in the data analysis
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| | | | b. | review data for the County and also the individual schools (e.g. if the County data reveals that ninety-nine percent (99%) of the core classes are taught by highly qualified teachers, but one (1) school has only ninety-four (94%) of its classes taught by highly qualified teachers, the County plan should target that particular school
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| | | | c. | review data for particular subjects and programmatic levels (e.g. mathematics may only have ninety-two percent (92%) of the classes taught by highly qualified teachers)
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| | | | d. | review data for future retirements and subject areas (e.g. the County has three (3) chemistry teachers retiring within the next five (5) years – Office of Professional Preparation has a document Educational Personnel Data Report that is published annually and may help)
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| | | | e. | review data for potential transfers and/or deleted positions
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| | | | f. | review teaching assignments of special education teachers
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| | | | g. | review teaching assignments K-8 certified teachers employed at the middle school level
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| | | | h. | review the teaching assignments of teachers of English language learners
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| | | | | 1) | Title III requires such teachers to have English proficiency
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| | | | | 2) | a teacher who does not teach core subject must still meet this Title III requirement if s/he teachers English language learners
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| | | | | 3) | in WV English language fluency is measured by holding teacher licensure
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| | | | i. | draw specific conclusions from the data analysis
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| | | 3. | Review Additional Data
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| | | | identify gaps in data and collect any additional relevant information
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| | B. | Examine recruiting, retaining, and retraining options to increase highly qualified teachers in core academic classes, and identify appropriate solutions
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| | | | a. | counsel bright students into field of teaching through elective options that allow for teacher-like experiences
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| | | | b. | encourage teacher aides/paraprofessionals to become certified teachers
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| | | | c. | develop a tuition reimbursement policy to utilize Title I and Title II funding to assist teacher aides, and paraprofessionals in completing the course work
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| | | | d. | require "permit" teachers to become "highly qualified" as soon as possible or within a specified amount of time
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| | | | e. | broaden recruiting efforts to reach a wider audience
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| | | | f. | target institutions of higher education that specialize in the category of teacher for which the data indicates a need and systematically develop professional and personal relationships within those institutions
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| | | | g. | change job postings for "hard to staff schools" to recruit highly qualified staff (e.g. includes duties or qualifications such as extra days for planning of professional development that would allow an increased number of days and thus increased salary utilizing Title II funding)
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| | | | h. | change job postings to require skills to coach or lead a school in whole school reform
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| | | | a. | develop supplemental mentoring and induction programs for new teachers based on best practices (The following resources may help.)
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| | | | | 1) | AFT Educational Issues Policy Brief, number 13, September 2001, Beginning Teacher Induction: The Essential Bridge
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| | | | b. | develop mentoring programs for teachers changing subjects and/or programmatic levels
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| | | | c. | provide a means of teacher support through peer coaching/mentoring initiatives (Required for any Title I school identified for school improvement.) 1116(b)(3)(A)(x)
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| | | | d. | develop and implement professional development plans that progress through the stages of awareness, developmental, transfer, and institutionalization over a period of three (3) to four (4) years
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| | | 3. | Retraining
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| | | | Provide opportunities for teachers that are highly qualified in one (1) core subject to become highly qualified in additional core subjects (e.g. request that a biology teacher take additional classes in chemistry, with tuition reimbursed, to replace chemistry teachers that will be retiring soon. Encourage general education teachers to become highly qualified in special education. These examples may provide additional job security for a teacher during a time of reduction in staff.)
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| | | 4. | Designate appropriate solutions for identified problem areas.
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| | C. | Implement the plan of action
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| | | 1. | Policies and Procedures
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| | | | a. | hiring procedure to ensure highly qualified teachers in core academic classes
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| | | | b. | scheduling procedure to assign highly qualified teachers to core academic classes
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| | | | c. | tuition reimbursement
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| | | | | 1) | Title II may pay tuition reimbursement in any school with restrictions*
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| | | | | 2) | Title I required five percent (5%) set aside with restrictions 1119(l)**
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| | | | d. | Parent's Right to Know (Parents must be notified of the right to request the qualification of teachers and paraprofessionals in Title I schools.) Principal's Attestation Statement (Principals of Title I schools must attest to the certification and qualifications of teachers on their staff). 1111(h)(6)(A)
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| | | | e. | Notification of instruction from a teacher who is not highly qualified (principals must notify parents of students who are being taught by a teacher that is not highly qualified after four (4) consecutive weeks.) 1111(h)(6)(B)(ii)
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| | | | f. | Principal's Attestation Statement (principals of Title I school must attest to the certification of teachers on their staff.) 1119(i)(1-2)
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| | | 2. | Budgeting for the action plan
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| | | | a. | If identified for improvement the County shall budget Title II funds to support the plan for highly qualified teachers prior to spending on any other Title II activity
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| | | | b. | The amount of Title II funds to be spent is whatever it takes to implement the HQT plan, and should target schools or areas of need such as:
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| | | | | 1) | tuition reimbursement
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| | | | | 2) | personnel hiring procedures
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| | | | | 3) | professional development
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| | | | | 4) | supplemental recruitment efforts
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| | | 3. | Communicate the plan to the stakeholders
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| | | | a. | communicate to parents and the public how the plan will impact the learning and achievement of students
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| | | | b. | publish new policies for comment periods prior to Board action
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| | | | c. | explain new administrative procedures and timelines to all affected personnel
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* Title II funds may pay tuition reimbursement for any teacher with restrictions outlined in guidance from the Office of Professional Preparation (OPP) and the Title II Office of the West Virginia Department of Education. The Federal program requirement to avoid supplanting of funds available from other sources would apply to both the funds spent for tuition reimbursement from the OPP and Title I funds (the five percent (5%) set aside) that must be spent for helping all teachers of core academic subject become highly qualified. In other words, Title II funds may be spent for tuition reimbursement only after teachers apply for and are denied funding from the OPP because of lack of funds, or in the case of Title I schools, only after Title I school has expended its annual five percent (5%) set-aside and there are still needs for tuition reimbursement at that school.
** The Title I five percent (5%) set aside must first be utilized to ensure that all Title I teachers meet the highly qualified standard (i.e. all teachers in a schoolwide program and those paid with Title I funds in a targeted assistance program). After those teachers meet the requirements, the County may use any remaining portion of the five percent (5%) set aside for teachers of core academic subjects in a targeted assistance school who are not paid with Title I funds. At no time may these five percent (5%) set aside funds be used for any teachers in schools that do not receive Title I allocations. To avoid a supplant issue, Title I funds may be spent for tuition reimbursement only after teachers apply for tuition reimbursement only after teachers apply for and for and are denied funding from the OPP because of a lack of funds.
No Child Left Behind Act of 2001