July 19, 2007

Protocol for Follow-Up Questions

(Supplement to SEA Monitoring Protocol)

The questions that appear on this interview protocol are informational questions related to
questions on the SEA Monitoring Protocol. While the answers to questions on the main
protocol must be submitted to the U.S. Department of Education in advance of the State’s
monitoring visit, the information covered by this interview protocol does not need to be
submitted in advance. States should, however, be prepared to discuss the answers to
these questions with the monitoring team during the monitoring visit.

Note: The numbering of the question below is not sequential. The numbers correspond
to the questions on the main monitoring protocol to which the follow-up questions
pertain.

I. HQT Definitions and Procedures

Follow up questions for I.1:

• For what grade spans does the State currently award certification or licensure for general
education teachers?

• What grades does the State consider to be “elementary”?

• Does the State award different certification or licensure for middle and high school
teachers? If so, what grade levels does each type of certification or licensure include and
in what ways do the two certifications or licensures differ?

• How many credit hours must a secondary teacher earn to constitute a “major” or
“coursework equivalent to a major” in order to demonstrate competence in a subject
area?

• How may a secondary teacher who is highly qualified in one subject become highly
qualified in additional subjects?

• Describe the process the SEA uses to inform LEAs, schools, and current and prospective
teachers when changes or updates are made to highly qualified teacher definitions or
procedures.

• Does the State have reciprocity of highly qualified status with other States, assuming that
the incoming teachers are teaching the same subject(s) at the same grade level as they did
in their previous States? If yes, answer the following:
 With which States does reciprocity exist?
 Will the State accept demonstrations of subject matter competence, such as
different content tests or HOUSSE procedures, used by other States?
 If a teacher passed the State’s test in another State where the cut score is lower
than for the State into which the teacher is moving, does the State require that the
teacher meet its cut score in order to be considered highly qualified?

Supplement to HQT/Title II, Part A SEA Monitoring Protocol 1

 July 19, 2007

 How do teachers coming from States for which the State does not have
reciprocity agreements demonstrate that they are highly qualified?

Follow up questions for I.2:

• For what grade spans does the State currently award certification or licensure for special
education teachers?

• Are different special education certifications or licenses awarded to teachers who teach
different exceptionalities? If so, what certificates or licenses are offered?

• Must a special education teachers who teaches core academic subjects pass any additional
special education specific assessments, in addition to assessments to demonstrate
competence in core subjects?

II. HQT Data Reporting and Verification

Follow up question for II.A.1:

• In 2005-06, how did you count the number of elementary classes? Is one elementary class
equivalent to a full day of instruction or does the count treat elementary classes in a
departmental way and count one day as multiple classes? Did you use the same approach
in 2004-2005?

Follow up question for II.A.5:

• Is there a statewide database for obtaining information on a teacher’s degree(s), test

scores, and/or certification status?

Follow up question for II.A.6:

• Does your State have a uniform course coding structure?

Supplement to HQT/Title II, Part A SEA Monitoring Protocol 2

 July 19, 2007

III. HQT Plan

Follow up questions for III.A.1:

• How does the SEA ensure that the LEAs in question have plans in place to address any
core subject classes that are not by highly qualified teachers?

• What process does the SEA expect LEAs to use in formulating local HQT plans?

• Does the SEA collect the plans from the LEAs?

• When are LEAs expected to have their plans completed?

• What technical assistance is the SEA providing to LEAs to assist them in formulating
their local plans for reaching the 100% highly qualified goal?

• How does the SEA monitor the implementation and progress of the LEA plans for
reaching the 100% HQT goal? When and how often does such monitoring occur? What
percentage of LEAs does the SEA expect to monitor per year?

• What corrective actions does the SEA take if it finds that LEA plans are not in place or
are not being carried out?

• What technical assistance is the SEA providing to LEAs to assist them in successfully
carrying out their local plans for reaching the 100% highly qualified goal?

• If the SEA has decided to focus its technical assistance efforts and use its available funds
(from any funding source) for reaching the 100% HQT goals primarily on specific LEAs
or schools, rather than on all LEAs or schools that are not at 100% HQT, on what basis
was that decision made?

Follow up questions for II.B.1:

• What does the State data reveal about where inequities exist?

• Has the SEA provided analyses of teacher experience by both the poverty and minority
status of school students? Has the SEA provided analyses of teachers’ HQT status by
both the poverty and minority status of school students?

• What strategies does the State have in place to address the identified inequities? Have
changes to the strategies been made since data were last reported to USED?

• How does the State determine whether or not strategies are working?

• By what means does the SEA report to the public on the progress of the equitable
distribution plan?

Supplement to HQT/Title II, Part A SEA Monitoring Protocol 3

 July 19, 2007

IV. Administration of Title II, Part A

Follow up questions for IV.A.2:

• How often are LEAs required to update their needs assessment? Is an annual update
required?

• Does the SEA provide LEAs with guidance on how to complete the needs assessment and
how to use the results of the needs assessment?

• How does the State verify that LEAs complete their needs assessments (check all that
apply): ____Assurance in application that the needs assessment was completed
____LEA must submit the needs assessment
____LEA must submit a summary of the needs assessment
____Other______________________________

Follow up question for IV.B.4:

• When monitoring, how does the SEA follow up on the how the LEAs address the
following Title II, Part A requirements:
 Alignment of the LEA’s Title II, Part A spending to the required needs assessment.
 The allowability, reasonableness, and necessity for activities funded by Title II,
Part A funds.
 Use of LEA funds for class size reduction

Supplement to HQT/Title II, Part A SEA Monitoring Protocol 4