U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige today issued guidance for meeting the requirements of Title II, Part A of the No Child Left Behind Act, which aims to increase the academic achievement of all students by enhancing the quality of the nation's teachers and principals.

"We know that a high-quality teacher is the most significant factor on how well students achieve," Paige said. "Through No Child Left Behind, we are now giving states the flexibility to use federal money in ways they need to ensure that all students have access to high quality teachers."

The bipartisan No Child Left Behind law requires that all teachers in core academic areas meet the requirements of being "highly qualified" by the end of the 2005-2006 school year. This means that all teachers in core academic areas will have to be licensed by the state, hold at least a bachelor's degree, and demonstrate competence, as determined by each state, in their subject area.

Some $2.85 billion in federal funding is available in the 2002 budget for a variety of activities to meet this goal, including: (1) teacher recruitment, preparation and licensure; (2) teacher support; (3) teacher retention; and (4) professional development. In return for this flexibility, states will be held accountable for demonstrating annual progress in reaching the goal of having all of their teachers in core academic areas meet the "highly qualified" requirements.

The guidance issued today assist states, local education agencies, and state agencies of higher education in preparing their plans to meet the Title II requirements. In addition to the "highly qualified teacher" requirements for all schools by the end of the 2005-06 school year, other Title II highlights include requirements for highly qualified teachers in Title I schools, charter schools, teachers certified through alternative routes, and vocational education teachers. In addition, Title II funds can be used in some instances to fund teacher bonuses and merit pay if they are linked to improved student achievement.

The issue of teacher quality has been a driving force for the Bush administration. First Lady Laura Bush hosted a teacher quality event at the White House in March, bringing together university and business leaders, teacher education advocates, teachers' unions and others to help develop strategies for enhancing teacher quality.

President Bush has highlighted his teacher quality initiatives in events across the country as well as at the White House and in his March 2 radio address. In the address, Bush said, "In our new era of education reform we're asking a lot of our teachers, and we owe them something in return. We must treat them as the professionals they are. I have confidence in the education reforms we enacted because I have confidence in the teachers who will carry them out."

State education representatives will be meeting in Washington next week to discuss the implementation of teacher quality initiatives. The First Annual Teacher/Principal Quality Conference will take place at the J.W. Marriott Hotel from June 11-13. Secretary Paige will be addressing the conference.

The guidance document on teacher quality is being distributed to all states, and is available on the web at www.ed.gov/offices/OESE/SIP/TitleIIguidance2002.doc

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