No Child Left Behind: What does it mean for teachers?

On January 8, 2002, President Bush signed into law the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). The purpose of NCLB is to “ensure that all children have a fair, equal, and significant opportunity to obtain a high-quality education and reach, at a minimum, proficiency on challenging state academic achievement standards and state assessments.”

In addition to requiring every state to set student achievement standards and to hold schools accountable for every student making adequate yearly progress, NCLB calls for highly qualified teachers and paraprofessionals in the nation’s classrooms.

Follow the links below to learn more about the federal requirements for teachers. 

Two Main Components of NCLB’s Teacher Quality Regulations: Parents' Right to Know and Teacher Quality Requirements

Core Academic Subjects

General Definition of a Highly Qualified Teacher

Maryland’s HOUSSE

If You Are Not Highly Qualified

Special Areas: Special Education, ESOL, and Reading

Achieving “highlqualified” status under No Child Left Behind-Using Maryland's HOUSSE
Except for “Using Maryland’s HOUSSE,” this content was adapted from “NCLB Update,” November 2003, published by Howard County Public Schools.

Paraprofessionals

Documents that address commonly asked questions about the paraprofessional qualification requirements of Section 1119 of Title I, as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act.

Instructional Paraprofessionals and ParaPro Assessment
Dr. John E. Smeallie, Assistant State Superintendent
Division of Certification and Accreditation