Developing Highly Qualified Teachers

By Allan A. Glatthorn, Brenda K. Jones & Ann Adams Bullock

What is High-Quality Teaching?  How is High-Quality Teaching Achieved?  The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) establishes a clear demand for highly qualified teachers, but does little to help educators define ‘highly qualified’ or instruct them on developing those teachers. This handbook clearly explains the concept of highly qualified teachers, as required by NCLB. It then explains how to recruit, develop and retain highly qualified teachers.

Developing Highly Qualified Teachers is divided into four distinct sections: 

1. The Foundations: Addressing NCLB guidelines for developing highly qualified teachers, developing a sense of ownership of the highly qualified concept and recruiting and selecting staff.
2. The General Strategies: Developing a differentiated system of supervision and implementing a quality staff development program. 
3. The Specific Approaches: Developing a quality induction program for new teachers, working with marginal staff, fully developing highly qualified teachers, teaming, mentoring and curriculum development. 
4. The Results: Retaining quality teachers and developing the faculty as a cohesive community.

These practices-research based and field tested over many years will help accomplish the type of faculty improvement and reform that NCLB demands and the adequate yearly progress that students, parents and faculty deserve.