2007-2008 School Year Reporting Requirements and Procedures for <em>No Child Left Behind, “Highly Qualified Teacher” and Paraprofessional Data

INFORMATIONAL LETTER: 90
POLICY CODE: CM/DDA

TO:               Superintendents of Schools, Principals, and “Highly Qualified Teacher” Officials
FROM:          Susan Gendron, Commissioner
DATE:           March 7, 2008
SUBJECT:     2007-2008 School Year Reporting Requirements and Procedures for No Child Left Behind, “Highly Qualified Teacher” and Paraprofessional Data

Data for the 2007-2008 “Highly Qualified Teacher” (“HQT”) Survey will again be web-enabled through the MEDMS database. In order to facilitate the Department’s reporting to the U.S. Department of Education, I ask that the data be submitted via MEDMS, no later than April 15, 2008. The “HQT form” will be available on April 1, 2008.
Directions for completing the “Highly Qualified Teacher” data survey, and a worksheet copy of the “HQT” Survey, are included as an attachment to this letter and are available on line at http://www.maine.gov/education/hqtp/forms.htm .

The worksheet copy of the survey is made available for your in-unit convenience as a data collection tool. The final data will be uploaded to a MEDMS electronic form. As noted in the Informational Letter #14, dated August 30, 2007 there is one new question on the “HQT” survey this year. It asks that you report how many teachers demonstrated “Highly Qualified” status through use of the HOUSSE Rubric. Teachers’ “HQT” records should contain this information, or teachers can inform the school administrative unit on whether or not they used the HOUSSE Rubric.

Once each school’s data are collected, the data will need to be entered by an authorized central office designee through your unit’s MEDMS account for each of your schools. The survey form can be accessed in MEDMS at the Superintendent level in the drop down field under “FORMS.” Select the action “HQT form”. NOTE: this survey is for the 2007-2008 school year data only.

It is important that the 2007-2008 data be entered into MEDMS and submitted by April 15, 2008 so Maine’s data can be sent to The United States Department of Education. Please direct any questions regarding The No Child Left Behind Act, “Highly Qualified Teacher” reporting to Daniel J. Conley, 624-6639, dan.conley@maine.gov or Crystal D. Polk, 624-6881, crystal.polk@maine.gov or the MEDMS Help Desk 624-6896.

PLEASE NOTE: Further guidance on the No Child Left Behind Act “Highly Qualified Teacher” requirements (i.e., new rules on HOUSSE Rubric use) can be found on our “HQTP” webpage at:
http://www.maine.gov/education/hqtp/index.htm