Highly Qualified Status

Requirements for Highly Qualified Teachers

"Highly Qualified" means that the teacher:

  1. Has obtained full Texas teacher certification, including appropriate special education certification for special education teachers;
  2. Holds a minimum of a bachelor's degree; and
  3. Has demonstrated subject matter competency in each of the academic subjects in which the teacher teaches.

The requirement that all teachers be highly qualified applies to all public elementary or secondary school teachers employed by a local educational agency who teach a core academic subject area.

Requirements for Highly Qualified Paraprofessionals

For paraprofessionals who are assigned instructional duties on a Title I, Part A School wide campus, the Paraprofessional Highly Qualified requirements include:

  1. Have completed at least two years of study at an institution of higher education (defined as completion of 48 semester hours (or equivalent trimester hours) of college coursework or an applicable number of semester hours as defined by the institution of higher education attended, whichever is less); or
  2. Have obtained an associate's (or higher) degree; or
  3. Have met a rigorous standard of quality and can demonstrate, through a formal state or local academic assessment-
    1. Knowledge of, and the ability to assist in instructing, reading, writing, and mathematics; or
    2. Knowledge of, and the ability to assist in instructing, reading readiness, writing readiness, and mathematics readiness, as appropriate.

Highly Qualified Status