June 7, 2004 1. State Implementation of a High, Objective,
Uniform, State Standard of Evaluation (HOUSSE) No Child Left
Behind (NCLB) provides a tool for States to recognize a veteran
teacher as highly qualified. While sections 1119(a) and 9101(23)
of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), as amended
by NCLB, do not require a State to implement a high, objective,
uniform, State standard of evaluation (HOUSSE), the U.S.
Department of Education has urged all States to consider
developing and using HOUSSE procedures so that teachers who are
not new to the profession may use it as an option for
demonstrating subject-matter competency in each subject they
teach. The Department has done this through non-regulatory
guidance, announcements of flexibility (e.g., the March 15,
2004, announcement regarding the permissible use of a single
HOUSSE procedure for teachers of multiple subjects), and, most
significantly, the technical assistance provided by the Teacher
Assistance Corps (TAC). To help States and dis