Special Education Teachers & Highly Qualified Requirements
Revised May 2013
Special Education Teachers in grades K-8 providing direct instruction in core academic subjects:
· Must hold full state licensure and special education endorsement
· Must demonstrate subject matter competency in one of the following ways:
o Hold an elementary multiple subjects endorsement (eg. Basic Elementary, Standard Elementary, Initial (I, II) ECE/ELE multiple subjects, etc.)
o Pass the ORELA (NES) Elementary Education Subtest I and II
o Meet Elementary HOUSSE (Experience must meet the 3 year minimum requirement, to be eligible. A teaching license must have been awarded prior to the 2007-2008 school year and a minimum of three years teaching experience at the elementary level must have occurred prior to the 2009-2010 school year.)
Special Education Teachers in grades 9-12 any of whose students are receiving core content credit for graduation:
· Must hold full state licensure and special education endorsement
· Must demonstrate subject matter competency in one of the following ways:
o Hold a subject matter endorsement in the core academic subject they are teaching
o Have a major/graduate degree or equivalent credits in the core academic subject they are teaching
o Pass the TSPC approved content test for the core academic subject (ORELA)
o Meet Secondary HOUSSE (Experience must meet the 3 year minimum requirement, to be eligible, and no more than 5 years of experience can count toward the evaluation. A teaching license must have been awarded prior to the 2007-2008 school year and a minimum of three years teaching experience in the subject to be evaluated must have occurred prior to the 2009-2010 school year.)
Special Education Teachers in grades 9-12 all of whose students are working toward an Alternative Certificate:
· Must hold full state licensure and special education endorsement
· Can demonstrate subject matter competency in one of the following ways:
o Hold an elementary multiple subjects endorsement (eg. Basic Elementary, Standard Elementary, Initial (I, II) ECE/ELE multiple subjects, etc.)
o Pass the ORELA (NES) Elementary Education Subtest I and II
o Meet Elementary HOUSSE (Experience must meet the 3 year minimum requirement, to be eligible. A teaching license must have been awarded prior to the 2007-2008 school year and a minimum of three years teaching experience in the subject to be evaluated must have occurred prior to the 2009-2010 school year.)