INSTRUCTIONS

 

Pursuant to New York State Education Law, the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001(NCLB) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), New York State Education Department (SED) is requesting that all charter schools provide reports and supporting documentation concerning teacher certification and employee records.  All reports must reflect data as of October 3, 2007. 

 

TABLE A – PROFESSIONAL INSTRUCTIONAL STAFF

 

List all "lead" teachers providing direct instruction to one or more students, regardless of the number of hours per week.  Lead co-teachers, speech pathologists, occupational therapists, librarians who teach library science are included.  Teaching Assistants, paraprofessionals and non-teaching educational administrators are not included.  See the Key for important instructions and definitions. 

 

If a teacher is certified, place an X in the applicable column in Table A and provide SED with the appropriate documentation.  Evidence of certification includes a current, valid New York State teaching certificate, a New York City (NYC) teaching license for teachers in the five boroughs of NYC, or a TEACH printout with a status of Certified. 

 

If a teacher is not certified, s/he may be considered presumptively certified if s/he has submitted to the Office of Teacher Initiatives (OTI) all required documentation, test results and payments, and is awaiting determination by OTI.  Evidence of such submission includes a TEACH status of Ready for Review or a letter from a university stating that all certification requirements are fulfilled and that it has submitted an application to OTI on behalf of the teacher during the four weeks preceding the date this form is submitted.  If such evidence is available, place an X in the appropriate box in Table A and provide SED with the corresponding documentation, detailing the subject and grade level of the prospective certification.

 

If a teacher is neither certified nor presumptively certified, s/he may be eligible to teach under the 30/5 exemption of Article 56 provided that s/he falls into one of the following four categories:

 

                                     I.      At least three years of elementary, middle or secondary classroom teaching experience

                                  II.      Tenured or tenure track college faculty

                               III.      Two years of satisfactory experience through the Teach for America program

                               IV.      Possesses exceptional business, professional, artistic, athletic, or military experience

 

            If an uncertified teacher holds one of these qualifications, indicate such status in Table A by placing an X in the qualified/not certified column and provide SED with a resume or letter from employers.  If the three-year experience qualification is used, complete Table B for each eligible teacher. 

 

TABLE B – QUESTIONNAIRE FOR UNCERTIFIED TEACHERS WITH THREE YEARS OF CLASSROOM EXPERIENCE

 

            Complete one table for each uncertified teacher using the three-year experience qualification.

 

TABLE C – NON-INSTRUCTIONAL STAFF

 

List all current employees who do not provide direct instruction as "lead" teachers.  Teaching Assistants, paraprofessionals, non-teaching educational administrators, security guards, office and maintenance personnel are included.

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TABLE D – NEWLY HIRED AND TERMINATED EMPLOYEES

           

List all employees who have commenced or terminated employment since the school’s last report to SED.

 

TABLE E – HIGHLY QUALIFIED TEACHERS

 

            NCLB and IDEA provide that all teachers in charter schools shall be Highly Qualified, as defined by NCLB and IDEA.  To that end, SED is requesting charter schools to list in Table E all the teachers reported in Table A who have classroom assignments teaching core academic subjects.  These assignments include, but are not limited to, the classes listed below.  (For additional information on “core academic subjects,” refer to the recent NCLB field memo #03-2007 at http://www.highered.nysed.gov/nclb032007.htm).

 

·         classes in “common branch subjects” in grades K through 6

·         classes in core academic subjects in grades 7 through 12

(Core academic subjects for the NCLB and IDEA are English, reading, language arts, mathematics, science, history, geography, economics, civics and government, foreign languages and the arts.  In New York State, the arts include the visual arts, dance, music, theater – including public speaking -and drama.)

·         classes in the arts, languages other than English and reading in grades K through 12

·         Career and Technical Education (CTE) classes that students may use for academic credit in core academic subjects leading to a high school diploma.

·         classes in core academic subjects taught in languages other than English

·         classes in core academic subjects taught in alternative education programs leading to a credit-based diploma

·         Special education, when the teacher provides direct instruction in a core academic subject in grades K through 12 as the teacher of record for that subject.  Instruction that supplements or reinforces instruction provided by other teachers is not considered core.

·         ESL classes: 1) when the teacher uses ESL methodology to teach core academic subjects and is required to have dual certification in ESL and the other subject being taught OR 2) when students use an ESL class for English credit towards a high school diploma and the teacher is required to be highly qualified in English.

·         Bilingual classes: when the teacher covers core academic subjects at the instructional level of grades K through 12 as teacher of record.

·         any of the above classes taught in accordance with Part 80 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education as approved “incidental teaching” or in accordance with an approved “experiment in organizational change” in the middle grades.    

 

Column M – Certification Status

If the teacher holds a valid New York State certification, as defined in the Key, place an X in the applicable box.  If the teacher does not hold such certification, place an X in the applicable box.  If the teacher is presumptively certified, as defined in the instructions to Table A, place an X in the box labeled N and one of the remaining applicable boxes. 

 

Column N – Area of Certification or Presumptive Certification

Column N is only for teachers who are either certified or presumptively certified, as defined in the instructions to Table A.  For teachers who are certified, specify both the certification content area and the level(s) of that certification.  For teachers who are presumptively certified, indicate the certification content area and level(s) for which they have applied for certification.

 

Column O – Teaching Assignment

For each teacher – certified, presumptively certified or uncertified - list every core course assignment on his/her schedule as of Oct. 3, 2007.

 

Column P – Certification Alignment

Column P is only for teachers holding a current, valid New York State teaching certificate or, for teachers in the five boroughs of NYC, a NYC teaching license.  If the teacher’s core course assignment is aligned with the certification subject area and level, the teacher is Highly Qualified and no additional information is required. 

 

However, if the core course assignment is not aligned with the teacher’s certification subject and level (for example, a teacher certified in secondary mathematics is assigned to teach one or more biology courses; or a teacher certified for common branch is assigned to teach one or more courses in middle school English) or if the teacher does not hold a valid certification, even if s/he is presumptively certified with a university letter or a TEACH status of Ready for Review, continue to Column Q.

 

Column Q – Content Knowledge 

If the teacher is certified but his/her core course assignment is not aligned with the certification subject and level or if the teacher does not hold a valid certification, even if s/he is presumptively certified with a university letter or a TEACH status of Ready for Review, the teacher must demonstrate content knowledge in his/her assignment through one or more of the “allowable methods” found in Column Q.  Fill in each box in Column Q for which 1) the teacher has demonstrated content knowledge, and 2) the school has evidence of such demonstration.    (For further explanation of these allowable methods, refer to NCLB field memo #03-2007 at http://www.highered.nysed.gov/nclb032007.htm.)

 

Evidence of certification and content knowledge must be provided to SED.  Acceptable evidence of certification is detailed in the instructions to Table A and should be submitted with the documents corresponding to Table A.  Evidence of content knowledge include, where applicable, a TEACH printout, a copy of college transcripts, a copy of exam results, or a copy of a completed HOUSSE rubric.

 

ALL TABLES MUST REFLECT DATA AS OF OCTOBER 3, 2007

 

 

Please submit all tables and supporting documentation no later than October 17, 2007.  The completed tables should be emailed to emscapa@mail.nysed.gov. Supporting documentation may be mailed via postal service to:

 

Moshe Gans, Ph.D.
Regional Associate
Office of School Improvement and Community Services (NYC)
New York State Education Department
55 Hanson Place, Room 414B
Brooklyn, New York 11217

 

If you have questions or require technical assistance, please contact Dr. Moshe Gans at (718) 722-7108.