Montclair’s public school teachers compiled impressive scores in the federally mandated survey of teacher qualifications, according to statistics recently released by the state Department of Education.
The results of the fifth annual survey of teacher content expertise show that 99.5 percent of the Montclair School District’s 404 teachers of core academic subjects met the federal government’s No Child Left Behind (NCLB) definition of a highly qualified teacher for every subject taught.
At the same time, Montclair also recorded a 99.5 in the percentage of all core academic subject classes in the district taught by highly qualified teachers.
Montclair teachers scored perfect scores of 100 percent in a half-dozen categories. They included the percentage of general elementary classes in the district taught by "highly qualified" teachers, the percentage of English/language arts/reading classes in the district taught by highly qualified teachers, the percentage of social studies classes in the district taught by highly qualified teachers and the percentage of science classes in the district taught by highly qualified teachers.
District teachers also scored 100 in the percentage of basic skills/language classes taught by highly qualified teachers and the percentage of English as a Second Language/Bilingual classes taught by highly qualified teachers.
However, Montclair teachers rated a little further away from the sought-after 100 percent in other areas, posting 97.5 scores in the percentage of mathematics classes in the district taught by highly qualified teachers, the percentage of visual/performing arts classes in the district taught by highly qualified teachers, and the percentage of world languages classes in the district taught by highly qualified teachers.
The NCLB provisions will eventually require that all districts nationwide meet the 100 percent standard. Statewide, New Jersey’s districts are nearing 99 percent compliance. While some are already at the 100 percent mark, many others still have a significant gap to overcome.
To satisfy the federal "highly qualified teacher" definition, state education officials explained that teachers must have bachelor’s degrees, have valid state certifications for which no requirements have been waived, and demonstrate content expertise in the core academic subjects they teach through federal criteria specified in NCLB.
"We continue to see a sustained effort by school districts and educators to meet NCLB’s goal to have 100 percent of our teachers designated as highly qualified under the law," NJ Commissioner of Education Lucille E. Davy stated in making the survey results public. "We draw ever closer to achieving this milestone, which symbolizes a commitment to have every child’s teacher meet the highest standards."
Although Trenton education officials say more New Jersey teachers than ever meet the federal requirements for training and expertise education, they said the state’s greatest challenge is recruiting and retaining highly qualified teachers in mathematics, English as a Second Language and special education, especially special education in middle school classrooms.
Department of Education officials said they will continue to provide technical assistance to all districts that have not met the highly qualified teacher goals. NCLB also requires districts that have not met the goal to outline strategies they will use to assist teachers who are not yet highly qualified.
State educators will complete their sixth highly qualified teacher survey in October. In 2008, districts will be required to report how they are recruiting highly qualified teachers and supporting and monitoring staffers who have not yet met the requirements.
A summary of the 2007 Highly Qualified Teacher Survey results is available at the state Department of Education Web site from the following link: http://www.nj.gov/education/data/hqt/08/.
