Out-of-Field/Highly Qualified

If you are assigned to teach out-of-field, you are mandated to take inservice, college coursework, or the subject area exam depending on your particular out-of-field assignment. Failure to meet this requirement by the end of the school year may result in your non-reappointment for the following school year.

ESOL OUT-OF-FIELD

Must complete required inservice or college coursework training according to the META timeline below. Training begins with the initial contact with the Limited English-Proficient student (LEP) date. Information regarding training should be addressed to

Must complete 120 inservice points or six semester hours of college coursework.

Must complete 120 inservice points or six semester hours of college coursework. If you are teaching in a Title I school, you must complete all requirements to obtain the Reading endorsement or Reading certification by the end of the school year that you were placed out-of-field.

Must complete six semester hours of college coursework in the out-of field assignment or take and pass the appropriate bachelor’s level Subject Area Exam by the end of the school year in order to be reappointed for the following school year. Please keep in mind that you cannot take subject area exams alone for the following master’s level areas of certification: Guidance and Counseling, Educational Leadership, School Psychologist, Reading and Speech Language Impaired. Coursework is also needed in these areas.

Federal Law 107-110, No Child Left Behind (NCLB) ensures that all public elementary, middle and secondary teachers of core academic subjects meet the federal definition of a "highly qualified" teacher.

One of the most critical timelines established in the law relates to the teacher's date of hire. Under NCLB teachers should be hired already being deemed "highly qualified". Charlotte County Public Schools school-based administrators review the "highly qualified" status of those individuals that they are considering for hire. In some isolated cases a teacher could be hired not being deemed "highly qualified" but would have to meet the requirement under the 97 day probationary period. If the "highly qualified" requirement is not met within the 97 day probationary period the teacher's contract could be terminated for failure to meet Federal and State requirements. The teachers are advised of this at the New Employee Orientation before they enter the classroom.

How do you meet "highly qualified"? Secondary level and middle schools teachers can meet it with a degree major in the specific area of assignment. If the teacher does not have the appropriate degree major then the next option would be to take the appropriate subject area test. Most tests are now computer based testing. This means you can make an appointment and then take the test at one of two computer based testing sites, UCF and Heathrow/Lake Mary. There are easy steps to register for all testing by clicking on this link (http://www.fl.nesinc.com/FL_internetreg.asp ).

Elementary education teachers can also be deemed "highly qualified" by degree major if elementary education is on the teaching certificate and they are teaching elem. ed. In the State of Florida the subject area test is required in some cases to obtain a State of Florida Professional Educator certificate not just to meet "highly qualified".

Exceptional student education teaches must have the appropriate ESE certification to be in field for what they are teaching AND they must be "highly qualified" in the core academic area they are teaching to their ESE students. This is based on the level of learning of the ESE student. Examples: If and elementary ed. ESE teacher is properly certified in Exceptional Student Education they would have to be " highly qualified" for elementary ed. or PreK/Primary. If the middle school ESE teacher is properly certified for the exceptional education area they are teaching they should have middle grades integrated curriculum subject area test passed to be deemed " highly qualified". If their students are severe they can be deemed "highly qualified" with elementary ed.

SPECIAL NOTE: Exceptional Student Education teachers do not have to add the "highly qualified" subject to their Florida educator certificate. The district needs only to document that the appropriate test has been passed.

Secondary ESE high school teachers can take and pass the middle grades integrated subject area test to be deemed "high qualified". However if they are teaching severe, profound students they could take the elementary subject area test.