Reviewing Revised State Plans

Meeting the Highly Qualified Teacher (HQT) Goal

State: PENNSYLVANIA

Date: 07-27-06

Peer Review Panel's Consensus Determination:

\_\_\_\_\_ The plan is acceptable

\_\_X\_ The plan has the deficiencies described below.

Comments to support determination:

Requirement 5 has not been met: The SEA believes that there should be a
decreasing need to provide the HOUSSE option. However, the state plans
to continue to offer teachers the option of attaining qualified status
by passing HOUSSE. The SEA should develop a plan to limit the use of
HOUSSE after the end of the 05-06 school year.

**Requirement 6 has not been met:** The equity plan needs to include a
measurement, as required by statute, of teacher experience in order to
identify where inequities in teacher assignment exist. The plan
describes the State's induction program and the availability of
Accountability Block Grants, but needs to identify additional strategies
to address the needs of inexperienced teachers and to recruit and retain
experienced teachers in high need schools.

Requirement 1: The revised plan must provide a detailed analysis of the
core academic subject classes in the State that are currently *not*
being taught by highly qualified teachers. The analysis must, in
particular, address schools that are not making adequate yearly progress
and whether or not these schools have more acute needs than do other
schools in attracting highly qualified teachers. The analysis must also
identify the districts and schools around the State where significant
numbers of teachers do not meet HQT standards, and examine whether or
not there are particular hard-to-staff courses frequently taught by
non-highly qualified teachers.

  ---------------- ------------------------------------------------------
  Y/N/U/NA         Evidence

  Y                Does the revised plan include an analysis of classes
                   taught by teachers who are not highly qualified? Is
                   the analysis based on accurate classroom level data?

  Y                Does the analysis focus on the staffing needs of
                   school that are not making AYP? Do these schools have
                   high percentages of classes taught by teachers who are
                   not highly qualified?

  Y                Does the analysis identify particular groups of
                   teachers to which the State's plan must pay particular
                   attention, such as special education teachers,
                   mathematics or science teachers, or multi-subject
                   teachers in rural schools?

  Y                Does the analysis identify districts and schools
                   around the State where significant numbers of teachers
                   do not meet HQT standards?

  Y                Does the analysis identify particular courses that are
                   often taught by non-highly qualified teachers?
  ---------------- ------------------------------------------------------

Y=Yes; N=No; U=Undecided; NA=Not applicable

[Finding]{.underline}:

\_X\_ Requirement 1 has been met

\_\_\_ Requirement 1 has been partially met

\_\_\_ Requirement 1 has not been met

\_\_\_ Additional information needed to make determination

\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ Date Requested \_\_\_\_\_\_ Submission Deadline

[Supporting Narrative:]{.underline}

The state has provided an extensive analysis of HQT data including core
content academic areas, class assignments, high poverty and/or high
minority schools, AYP schools. This comprehensive data collection and
detailed analysis is commendable.

The plan indicates that the highest percentage of non-HQ teachers are in
high poverty and/or high minority secondary schools (Math 34%, Science
26%, English 26%, Social Studies 25%, and Foreign Language 22%)

Although the report does not present analyses of districts and schools
around the State where significant numbers of teachers do not meet HQT
standards, it is clear from the data collection system that the SEA has
the capacity to do so.

Requirement 2: The revised plan must provide information on HQT status
in each LEA and the steps the SEA will take to ensure that each LEA has
plans in place to assist teachers who are not highly qualified to attain
HQT status as quickly as possible.

  ---------------- ------------------------------------------------------
  Y/N/U            Evidence

  Y                Does the plan identify LEAs that have not met annual
                   measurable objectives for HQT?

  Y                Does the plan include specific steps that will be
                   taken by LEAs that have not met annual measurable
                   objectives?

  Y                Does the plan delineate specific steps the SEA will
                   take to ensure that all LEAs have plans in place to
                   assist all non-HQ teachers to become HQ as quickly as
                   possible?
  ---------------- ------------------------------------------------------

Y=Yes; N=No; U=Undecided

[Finding]{.underline}:

\_X\_ Requirement 2 has been met

\_\_\_ Requirement 2 has been partially met

\_\_\_ Requirement 2 has not been met

\_\_\_ Additional information needed to make determination

\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ Date Requested \_\_\_\_\_\_ Submission Deadline

[Supporting Narrative:]{.underline}

The plan includes the percent of LEAs that have not met annual
measurable objectives for HQT, but does not identify the LEAs
individually.

The plan clearly articulates steps, (programs, funding, resources) to
assist teachers to attain HQT.

Requirement 3: The revised plan must include information on the
technical assistance, programs, and services that the SEA will offer to
assist LEAs in successfully completing their HQT plans, particularly
where large groups of teachers are not highly qualified, and the
resources the LEAs will use to meet their HQT goals.

  ---------------- ------------------------------------------------------
  Y/N/U            Evidence

  Y                Does the plan include a description of the technical
                   assistance the SEA will provide to assist LEAs in
                   successfully carrying out their HQT plans?

  Y                Does the plan indicate that the staffing and
                   professional development needs of schools that are not
                   making AYP will be given high priority?

  Y                Does the plan include a description of programs and
                   services the SEA will provide to assist teachers and
                   LEAs in successfully meeting HQT goals?

  Y                Does the plan specifically address the needs of any
                   subgroups of teachers identified in Requirement 1?

  Y                Does the plan include a description of how the State
                   will use its available funds (e.g., Title I, Part A;
                   Title II, Part A, including the portion that goes to
                   the State agency for higher education; other Federal
                   and State funds, as appropriate) to address the needs
                   of teachers who are not highly qualified?

  Y                Does the plan for the use of available funds indicate
                   that priority will be given to the staffing and
                   professional development needs of schools that are not
                   making AYP?
  ---------------- ------------------------------------------------------

Y=Yes; N=No; U=Undecided

[Finding]{.underline}:

\_X\_ Requirement 3 has been met

\_\_\_ Requirement 3 has been partially met

\_\_\_ Requirement 3 has not been met

\_\_\_ Additional information needed to make determination

\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ Date Requested \_\_\_\_\_\_ Submission Deadline

[Supporting Narrative:]{.underline}

The plan includes a variety of technical assistance strategies the SEA
provides to assist LEAs in carrying out their HQT plans. In particular,
the SEA helps the LEAs complete HQT plans through regional meetings and
workshops. The SEA plans to expand its work with high need districts by
meeting individually with district officials to provide assistance with
hard-to-staff schools.

The plan states that teachers in high poverty secondary schools will be
targeted for assistance in becoming highly qualified. The plan also
identifies the following groups as facing greater difficulty in meeting
HQT requirements: middle school teachers who are certified in
elementary, special education teachers, ESL teachers, alternative
education teachers, teachers working under emergency permits, and
teachers in high poverty schools. However, the plan does not
specifically address services targeted to these groups of teachers to
assist in becoming HQT.

The plan includes detailed information regarding how the SEA will use
available funds to address the needs of teachers who are not HQ
including specific allocation of Title II A funds and services provided
by SAHE, Transition to Teaching grant program, and Math Science
Partnership.

The plan requires LEAs with schools not making AYP to target their Title
I allocation for professional development to schools that have the
lowest percentage of HQ teachers, largest class sizes, or identified for
School Improvement.

The plan specifically identifies several initiatives targeting urban
districts and their unique HQT needs such as the Philadelphia Urban
Seminar, Governor's Academy for Urban Learning and Transition to
Teaching projects at Drexel University.

Requirement 4: The revised plan must describe how the SEA will work with
LEAs that fail to reach the 100 percent HQT goal by the end of the
2006-07 school year.

+---------------+------------------------------------------------------+
| Y/N/U         | Evidence                                             |
+---------------+------------------------------------------------------+
| Y             | Does the plan indicate how the SEA will monitor LEA  |
|               | compliance with the LEAs' HQT plans described in     |
|               | Requirement 2 and hold LEAs accountable for          |
|               | fulfilling their plans?                              |
+---------------+------------------------------------------------------+
| Y             | Does the plan show how technical assistance from the |
|               | SEA to help LEAs meet the 100 percent HQT goal will  |
|               | be targeted toward LEAs and schools that are not     |
|               | making AYP?                                          |
+---------------+------------------------------------------------------+
| Y             | Does the plan describe how the SEA will monitor      |
|               | whether LEAs attain 100 percent HQT in each LEA and  |
|               | school:                                              |
|               |                                                      |
|               | -   in the percentage of highly qualified teachers   |
|               |     at each LEA and school; and                      |
|               |                                                      |
|               | -   in the percentage of teachers who are receiving  |
|               |     high-quality professional development to enable  |
|               |     such teachers to become highly qualified and     |
|               |     successful classroom teachers?                   |
+---------------+------------------------------------------------------+
| Y             | Consistent with ESEA §2141, does the plan include    |
|               | technical assistance or corrective actions that the  |
|               | SEA will apply if LEAs fail to meet HQT and AYP      |
|               | goals?                                               |
+---------------+------------------------------------------------------+

Y=Yes; N=No; U=Undecided

[Finding]{.underline}:

\_X\_ Requirement 4 has been met

\_\_\_ Requirement 4 has been partially met

\_\_\_ Requirement 4 has not been met

\_\_\_ Additional information needed to make determination

\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ Date Requested \_\_\_\_\_\_ Submission Deadline

[Supporting Narrative:]{.underline}

The SEA will monitor compliance through the submission of an annual LEA
Consolidated Application which includes the number of teachers meeting
the definition of HQ.

The SEA monitors school districts every three years to ensure that the
LEAs have developed HQT plans, have highly qualified teachers at each
school, and to ensure that teachers receive high quality professional
development to become HQT.

Requirement 5: The revised plan must explain how and when the SEA will
complete the HOUSSE process for teachers not new to the profession who
were hired prior to the end of the 2005-06 school year, and how the SEA
will limit the use of HOUSSE procedures for teachers hired after the end
of the 2005-06 school year to multi-subject secondary teachers in rural
schools eligible for additional flexibility, and multi-subject special
education who are highly qualified in language arts, mathematics, or
science at the time of hire.

+---------------+------------------------------------------------------+
| Y/N/U         | Evidence                                             |
+---------------+------------------------------------------------------+
| N             | Does the plan describe how and when the SEA will     |
|               | complete the HOUSSE process for all teachers not new |
|               | to the profession who were hired before the end of   |
|               | the 2005-06 school year?                             |
+---------------+------------------------------------------------------+
| N             | Does the plan describe how the State will limit the  |
|               | use of HOUSSE after the end of the 2005-06 school    |
|               | year to the following situations:                    |
|               |                                                      |
|               | -   Multi-subject secondary teachers in rural        |
|               |     schools who, if HQ in one subject at the time of |
|               |     hire, may use HOUSSE to demonstrate competence   |
|               |     in additional subjects within three years of the |
|               |     date of hire; or                                 |
|               |                                                      |
|               | -   Multi-subject special education teachers who are |
|               |     new to the profession, if HQ in language arts,   |
|               |     mathematics, or science at the time of hire, may |
|               |     use HOUSSE to demonstrate competence in          |
|               |     additional subjects within two years of the date |
|               |     of hire.                                         |
+---------------+------------------------------------------------------+

Y=Yes; N=No; U=Undecided

[Finding]{.underline}:

\_\_\_ Requirement 5 has been met

\_\_\_ Requirement 5 has been partially met

\_X\_ Requirement 5 has not been met

\_\_\_ Additional information needed to make determination

\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ Date Requested \_\_\_\_\_\_ Submission Deadline

[Supporting Narrative:]{.underline}

The state believes that there should be a decreasing need to provide the
HOUSSE option. The SEA "plans to continue to offer teachers the option
of attaining qualified status by passing HOUSSE."

The plan lists four circumstances where the SEA plans to continue to
offer teachers the option of attaining HQ status by passing HOUSSE. The
circumstances identified appear to be "sanctioned" in the August 2005
non-regulatory guidance provided by USDE.

The state requests further guidance from USDE regarding their plans to
continue the HOUSSE option.

Requirement 6: The revised plan must include a copy of the State's
written "equity plan" for ensuring that poor or minority children are
not taught by inexperienced, unqualified, or out-of-field teachers at
higher rates than are other children.

  ---------------- ------------------------------------------------------
  Y/N/U            Evidence

  Y                Does the revised plan include a written equity plan?

  N                Does the plan identify where inequities in teacher
                   assignment exist?

  Y                Does the plan delineate specific strategies for
                   addressing inequities in teacher assignment?

  Y                Does the plan provide evidence for the probable
                   success of the strategies it includes?

  N                Does the plan indicate that the SEA will examine the
                   issue of equitable teacher assignment when it monitors
                   LEAs, and how this will be done?
  ---------------- ------------------------------------------------------

Y=Yes; N=No; U=Undecided

[Finding]{.underline}:

\_\_\_ Requirement 6 has been met

\_\_\_ Requirement 6 has been partially met

\_X\_ Requirement 6 has not been met

\_\_\_ Additional information needed to make determination

\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ Date Requested \_\_\_\_\_\_ Submission Deadline

[Supporting Narrative:]{.underline}

The equity plan specifically addresses strategies targeted to high
poverty HQT issues including revision of teacher certification and
preparation, problems in staffing, recruiting and retaining teachers in
high need schools, assistance with uncertified or out-of-field teachers.

The equity plan needs to include a measurement, as required by statute,
of teacher experience in order to identify where inequities in teacher
assignment exist. The plan describes the State's induction program and
the availability of Accountability Block Grants, but needs to identify
additional strategies to address the needs of inexperienced teachers and
to recruit and retain experienced teachers in high need schools.

The equity plan provides some evidence for the probable success of some
the strategies including the revision of certification, math and
literacy coaches, teacher incentives, and professional development.

The state has presented a cohesive plan to ensure an equitable
distribution of highly qualified and effective teachers in high need
districts, however there was no information in the equity plan regarding
how the SEA will examine the issue of equitable teacher assignment when
it monitors LEAs.