February 28, 2014 Debbie Parriott, Pat Smithson, Hisami Yoshida

1. Limitations of the Points-Based High Objective Uniform State Standard of Evaluation (HOUSSE) Form & Frequently Asked Questions February 28, 2014 Debbie Parriott, Pat Smithson, Hisami Yoshida Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction

2. ESEA The Elementary and Secondary Education Act established the expectation that all teachers be highly qualified. The High Objective Uniform State Standard of Evaluation (HOUSSE) is a way of documenting content experience for individual teachers who are not new to the profession. The Points-Based HOUSSE form was launched by OSPI in 2005. In 2013, the U.S. Department of Education strongly encouraged OSPI to limit the use of the HOUSSE form in all areas with the exception of special education. The effective date for limiting district use of the Points-Based HOUSSE is August 31, 2014 (010-14M).

3. Special Education Teacher Exception After August 31, 2014, districts may only use a “revised” version HOUSSE form to document content expertise in core academic subject areas for special education teachers. The revised HOUSSE form will be available when the 2014–15 HQT Tool will belaunched on October 16, 2014.

4. Title I and Highly Qualified • The current district obligation is that all teachers meet the highly qualified requirements. All teachers assigned to Title I school wide or targeted assistance programs are required to be highly qualified at time of placement (ESEA 2001, 1114 (b)(1)(C) and 115 (c)(1)(E) ). • Individual Teacher Plans are not an acceptable substitute for highly qualified status in a Title I school. • Districts that fail to meet the federal HQT requirements place their Title I and Title IIA funds in jeopardy.

5. Title I Preschool Teachers Title I requirements mandate that Title I preschool teachers meet the HQT requirements. Documentation showing them highly qualified in Early Childhood Education should be retained at the district office for auditing and monitoring purposes. Title IIA requirements apply to all teachers K-12, not preschool teachers. In the HQT tool, districts can disregard these teachers because they are not counted in the teacher/course count for the federal report.

6. HOUSSE Appeals Process Should a situation warrant an appeal of the HOUSSE process, school districts can submit a formal request via email, with supporting documentation to yvonne.ryans@k12.wa.us. OSPI will respond with a determination within 15 calendar days of the receipt of an appeal.

7. Traditional Alternative Education Programs Provide alternative forms of instruction to students in the regular school setting. Teachers may provide instruction in multiple subjects. All teachers in this educational setting must meet HQT requirements at the time of placement.

8. Alternative Learning Experience (ALE) Programs • Include educational experiences that are characterized by learning activities that occur away from the regular classroom setting. • Teachers in ALE programs must meet the HQT requirements when teaching core academic courses in any of the following: • Digital On-Line Courses • Contracted Teacher • Parent-Partnership Programs • Teacher of record is no longer a valid pathway for meeting HQT requirements.

9. Online Learning • Teachers of online courses must meet HQT requirements. • Teachers facilitating online courses for credit retrieval in a traditional comprehensive high school are not required to meet the HQT requirements.

11. FAQ’s General Questions

12. Q1: Why is the elimination of the Points-Based HOUSSE form taking place now? All teachers of core academic subjects were required to meet the highly qualified requirements by the end of the 2006–07 school year. In 2013, the U.S. Department of Education strongly encouraged OSPI to limit the use of HOUSSE form in all areas with the exception of special education. The effective date for limiting district use of the Points-Based HOUSSE is August 31, 2014 (OSPI Memorandum 010-14M).

13. Q2: What type of guidance will be provided by OSPI? • Webinar, February 28, 2014. • Future webinars on specific topics related to HQT requirements. • Update HQT Resource Manual to reflect policy change • Provide ongoing technical support. • Districts may use their Title IIA funds to support teachers in becoming highly qualified. • Districts can pay for WEST-E tests, related course work, professional development, or other allowable avenues to meet the HQT requirements.

14. Q3: What is the timeline for the elimination of the Points-Based HOUSSE for all teachers except special education? The Points-Based HOUSSE will no longer be available to teachers after August 31, 2014. New hires will be unable to use a HOUSSE form for the 2014–15 school year even if they are hired prior to August 31, 2014. Teachers who are: In the system: in 2013–14 districts must document and record their HQ status (via HOUSSE) in the system before end of August.  For example, any elementary teacher with four years or more of experience in core content can do the HOUSSE paperwork for middle school in the event they want to teach middle school in the future. Not in the system in 2013 – 14 but previously employed: Districts who have HOUSSE paperwork done and on record for employed teachers who are not currently in the system can “appeal” next fall when the teacher shows in the system as result of returning from leave, or being in another non-system assignment in 2013–14. New Hires:“New hires” must have their HOUSSE documentation in the system from their previous district. Brand new teachers will need to take the appropriate state test.

15. FAQ’s Not currently in the hqt tool

16. Q4: What about long-term substitutes, retire/rehire employees, teachers on leave, and some administrators—who were previously deemed HQ prior to August 31, 2014 based on the HOUSSE form but are not currently active in the HQT Data Collection Tool? Appeals process in place for teachers previously HQ by HOUSSE. District responsible for reviewing all supporting documentation for accuracy before requesting an appeal.

17. Q5: When will we see the new hires for the district in the HQT tool? The HQT Tool will be open for the 2014–15 school year on October 16, after the district submits its first enrollment report.

18. FAQ’s Grandfathered hq status

19. Q6: Will the teachers who have already been granted HQ status in a core academic content area using the HOUSSE form be “grandfathered” in as highly qualified? Yes, a highly qualified designation only needs to be met one time for each core academic content area. However, it is the district’s responsibility to review and ensure the accuracy of a previously completed HOUSSE form and retain supporting documentation as teaching assignments change. If the teacher is not currently active in the HQT Tool, districts can submit a HOUSSE appeal request. See Q4 for more information.

20. FAQ’s Housse forms from another district

21. Q7: Will I be able to use a teacher’s previously completed HOUSSE form from a prior district? Yes. HOUSSE is portable and reciprocal throughout all Washington state school districts.* A copy of the documentation may be provided by the teacher or the former district. It is the receiving district’s responsibility to review and ensure the accuracy of any previously completed HOUSSE form and retain supporting documentation as teaching assignments change. If the teacher is not currently active in the HQT Tool, districts can submit a HOUSSE appeal request. See Q4 for more information. * A secondary teacher deemed highly qualified for a program assignment through the use of the multiple subjects assignment on the HOUSSE (small rural schools, special education, middle school block, ALE, and juvenile institutions) is no longer highly qualified on the HOUSSE when the teacher leaves the specific program assignment. The teacher must show subject matter competency for the new assignment. (e.g. An ALE English teacher leaves the ALE program and moves to a general education assignment. The teacher could no longer use the Multiple Subjects Assignment HOUSSE form the new general education assignment.)

22. Q8: What if they are not active in the HQT Tool because they were on leave or in a special assignment? If the teacher is not currently active in the HQT Tool, districts can submit a HOUSSE appeal request. See Q4 for more information.

23. FAQ’s Incorrect housse forms

24. Q9: What if a previously completed HOUSSE form was filled out incorrectly or supporting documentation was insufficient when highly qualifying a teacher? District personnel will need to review all completed hard copy and electronic HOUSSE forms for accuracy. HOUSSE forms for currently active teachers can be corrected and supporting documentation can be uploaded into the HQT Tool before August 31, 2014.

25. Q10: What should I do if I find an error on a HOUSSE form (e.g., wrong teaching certificate box was checked)? If a HOUSSE form was incorrectly filled out and a teacher is shown to be not highly qualified, the teacher will need to meet the highly qualified requirements via a state test or one of the secondary pathways.

26. FAQ’s 2014-2015 Hires

27. Q11: Can I use the HOUSSE form to highly qualify teachers hired for the 2014–15 school year if they are hired before the August 31, 2014 deadline? Will we be able to select the HOUSSE pathway in the HQT Tool next year? Districts will not be able to use the HOUSSE form to highly qualify new teachers for the 2014–15 school year, even if they are hired prior to HOUSSE limitation deadline. The HOUSSE pathway option will only be available for special education teachers. The HOUSSE pathway will only be available next year if a district requests and is approved for an appeal of a pre-existing HOUSSE form

28. Q12: What about new hires, transfers and reassignments? Teachers who are new to the profession or who are voluntarily or involuntarily transferred or reassigned will need to meet the highly qualified requirements at the time of placement. The most expedient manner to achieve this will be for the teacher to take the appropriate WEST-E/NES test. http://assessment.pesb.wa.gov/assessments/weste/nes-transition

29. FAQ’s Special Education

30. Q13: What changes will be on the “revised” HOUSSE form for special education teachers? Categories 4 and 6 on the current HOUSSE forms will be removed. After August 31, 2014, special education teachers will be able to use their coursework, subject matter experience, subject matter clock hours and coursework, and leadership experience as appropriate criteria to highly qualify them in core content subjects.

31. FAQ’s Cte

32. Q14: I have a CTE teacher who has taught math for several years and wants to be highly qualified for math classes outside of the CTE program. What certificate would I choose on the HOUSSE forms for her, or do I need to go back to her bachelor’s degree and total the credits? It is very difficult to HQ a CTE teacher in a general education assignment. Even if the CTE teacher could meet the HQ requirements, the teacher often does not meet state rule for the assignment. Individual questions about highly qualifying CTE teachers for general education assignments should be directed to the Title IIA office at 360.725.6340 or title2quality@k12.wa.us.

33. Contact Information ESEA Highly Qualified: (360) 725-6340 Debbie Parriott deborah.parriott@k12.wa.us Pat Smithson pat.smithson@k12.wa.us Hisami Yoshida hisami.yoshida@k12.wa.us Julia Fallon julia.fallon@k12.wa.us Tara Richerson tara.richerson@k12.wa.us Yvonne Ryans, Title II A Dir. yvonne.ryans@k12.wa.us Certification: (360) 725-6400 cert@k12.wa.us Special Education and IDEA:(360) 725-6075 speced@k12.wa.us Title I Requirements: (360) 725-6100 Gayle Pauley, Title I Director gayle.pauley@k12.wa.us