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The High Objective Uniform State Standard of Evaluation, referred to as HOUSSE, is a process and a tool created for states to comply with No Child Left Behind (NCLB) requirements for highly qualified teachers. NYSUT has been instrumental in working closely with the New York State Education Department (SED) to ensure that:

• Veteran teachers "not new to the profession" do not have to take state certification examinations to be considered highly qualified, but can continue to use the HOUSSE; a checklist of qualifications, credentials and experience to demonstrate their high quality.
• The HOUSSE process and check list are linked directly to a district's Annual Professional Performance Review (APPR).
• Teachers who have already demonstrated subject matter competency in a subject through the HOUSSE do not have to repeat the process.
• Teachers only need to use the HOUSSE once for each subject to demonstrate their competency in that subject.

Recently there has been significant debate and confusion across the country and in New York State about the use of HOUSSE in the current (2006-07) and future years. Here is a time-frame of activities related to the HOUSSE:

• The US Department of Education (DOE) in February 2006 directed that:

• All states had to eliminate HOUSSE after June 2007

• NYSED had to revise its State Plan for Enhancing Teacher Quality

• The NY State Education Department (SED) responded:

• NYS will comply and eliminate HOUSSE

• NYS submitted a revised plan to feds and sent NCLB Field Memo # 03-2006 (Aug/06) indicating that HOUSSE will not be available after June 2007

• The American Federation of Teachers /National Education Association/NYSUT responded:

• USDOE did not have the authority to change provision of HOUSSE at mid-point

• USDOE backed off and said:

• HOUSSE could be continued, but they will seek changes during reauthorization of NCLB

• NYSED issued a new NCLB Field Memo #05-2006 (October 27, 2006) indicating:

• HOUSSE will continue after the conclusion of the 2006-2007 school year

• The use of HOUSSE will be closely monitored by SED

The most significant changes and clarifications to the use of HOUSSE include the following items. Citations refer to the section of NCLB NYS Field Memo #05-2006 available at http://www.highered.nysed.gov/nclb052006.htm.

1. Supplementary instruction and enrichment

a. Teachers who enrich or supplement instruction provided by another teacher with primary responsibility for instruction in a core academic subject are not subject to the NCLB.
b. Teachers and Title I paraprofessionals (Teaching Assistants in NYS) who provide academic enrichment, tutoring, homework assistance, and SES, AIS, after school programs and resource rooms do not have to demonstrate that they are “highly qualified”.
c. A district determines the distinction between extended time and enrichment programs.

2. IDEA requirements changed from previous guidance (Page 5.)

a. A teacher of students with disabilities in grades 7-12 or the age equivalent must meet the NCLB definition of highly qualified for middle/secondary assignments with one exception.
b. The exception is that the IDEA permits a teacher to use the definition of "highly qualified" for elementary assignments when s/he teachers a "special class" whose students with disabilities of any grade or age ALL qualify for the New York State Alternate Assessment (NYSAA)

3. Urgency of completion of HOUSSE in 06-07

a. USDOE will seek the elimination of HOUSSE in 2007 NCLB Reauthorization, therefore
b. NYSED urges districts to complete the use of HOUSSE in 2006-07
c. NYSED suggests teachers demonstrate subject matter competency and that they are highly qualified using the HOUSSE for core academic subjects that the teacher may be assigned to teach in the future.
d. Districts will be asked to report data to SED on incidental teaching and out of field teaching beginning in 2006-07 academic year

4. Use of HOUSSE—changes and clarifications

a. HOUSSE continues to be available for teachers who are "not new to the profession" and for some other teachers as listed below under federal flexibility.
i. Special education teachers of multiple core academic subjects may use HOUSSE whether they are new or not new to the profession with exceptions (see #05-2006 Item A10). {Refer to vii for more detail}
ii. Teachers employed in eligible rural districts who teach multiple core academic subjects and who are highly qualified in at least one subject they teach may use HOUSSE within three years of hire date whether they are new or not new.
iii. Visiting teachers from other nations with an appropriate New York State credential may use the HOUSSE when they are not new to the profession.
iv. In order to be highly qualified for incidental teaching assignments in a core academic subject, teachers who are not new to the profession must demonstrate subject matter competency in that subject. SED indicates in the field memo that they will restrict use of incidental teaching in the future, which will reduce the use of the HOUSSE significantly.
v. Certified teachers who are not new to the profession and are working in approved experiments in organizational change known as experimental middle schools may use HOUSSE to demonstrate subject matter competency in the core subjects they teach.
vi. Certified CTE teachers who are not new to the profession and are working in integrated academic/CTE programs may use HOUSSE to demonstrate subject area competence.
vii. The IDEA permits the use of the HOUSSE for:

1. A certified special education teacher who is not new to the profession.
2. A certified special education teacher who is new to the profession and eligible for IDEA flexibility described in A10 (Pg 7).
3. Certified special education teacher who is a new special education teacher of multiple core academic subjects as defined in A10 and who is eligible for IDEA flexibility described in A10 (Page 7).

viii. Certified science teachers who teach middle/secondary science classes for which they are certified are by definition highly qualified in all science subjects of which they are certified. Science teachers with certification in once science subject are highly qualified to do approved incidental teaching in another science subject without an additional demonstration of their subject matter competency for the additional science subject.

ADVICE TO LOCAL LEADERS

• HOUSSE should be completed within the context of your district APPR since the process of teacher evaluation is a mandatory subject of collective bargaining. Assert your right to negotiate how the HOUSSE will be addressed. Speak to your LRS immediately regarding this matter.
• It may be difficult for teachers to project all possible subjects they may be asked to teach in the future. Discuss this eventuality with your superintendent before agreeing that all teachers should participate.
• Remember that any completed HOUSSE does not have to be repeated.
• It is clear from NCLB NYS Field Memo #05-2006 that NYSED will reduce instances of incidental teaching and experimental middle school status in New York State. Examine how this will impact your members in the future.
• The SED has clarified that if a teacher is not qualified, it does not mean that they may be terminated. It is the district’s responsibility to identify the teacher, report the data, and to develop a plan for the teacher to become highly qualified.

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Download: Complete Bulletin. PDF File.