Many educators are just now finding out what transpired over the summer with the Professional Standards Commission (PSC). The PSC states that in order to comply with the federal law �No Child Left Behind� and make certain every teacher is �highly qualified� they have proposed rule changes to special education teachers� certification requirements. The PSC held a public hearing in July to receive comments regarding the purposed rule changes and the rule changes went into effect on August 15, 2005.
Since that date, some school systems have provided excellent support for their special education teachers, holding several meetings to explain the rule changes and to respond to all teacher questions. Additionally, some school systems have provided funding from Title II A federal funds specifically designed for teacher education -- to take the Praxis II tests or opportunities take a review course. These same school systems have assisted their veteran special educations teacher in completing the HOUSSE document to help the teachers get add-on certification in different academic subject areas. We have talked with some school systems to encourage them to provide support and funding for their special education teachers facing these certification changes. Unfortunately, there are many special education teachers who are still unsure about what to do next.
If you are a special education teacher you have probably looked at the PSC website and found that the names of the special education teaching certificates have changed. PSC states that they have made this change in order to align with other states and what these states have named their special education teaching certificates. More important than the name of the certificate, the special education teacher must find out from their supervisor if they are going to be the �teacher of record� for any special education students. Most all the special education teachers that we have heard from over the last several weeks are going to be required to be �teacher of record� and are therefore looking at the challenge of how to become �highly qualified� in all academic content areas for their students.
PSC states that the educators should look at the students� IEP to find out their cognitive level and that will define which Praxis II the educator is to take. There have been new Praxis II tests developed so that the middle school special education teachers or even the high school special education teachers, who are teaching students on a cognitive level of 6-8 grades, would only have to take one Praxis II test in order to become �highly qualified� in all but one of the academic subject areas. The one academic subject area not covered is Reading. Middle school and high school teachers can get add-on certification in reading by taking a class or by taking the Praxis II in reading. Teachers working with students on a cognitive level of K-5 must take the early childhood Praxis II to become certified to teach all academic subject area.
The high school special education teacher, who will be identified as the �teacher of record� and working with students on a cognitive level of 9-12 grades would be responsible for taking all of the Praxis II academic tests�unless that teacher has five college classes on his/her transcript to get add-on certification in any one of the five academic areas (like five college math classes for math certification); or can use the HOUSSE document to get add-on certification in a particular subject area. It may be that high school special education teachers will be able to departmentalize and some special education teachers will teach math and science, while the other teacher or team teaches reading, language arts and social studies.
This is an area that special education teachers have many questions about. If you have questions please read the PAGE website at www.pageinc.org and look at the scrolling box on the left and click on special education rule changes for an overview of the rule changes. Additionally, please call the PAGE legal department and we will be glad to help you in any way that we can.
Please click on the below link for Georgia Implementation Guidelines and Criteria for Highly Qualified Teachers:
