Section G: Personnel

Policy Title: Highly Qualified and Appropriately Certified Staff
Policy Code: GCAB-R2

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Highly Qualified and Appropriately Certified Staff

Arizona Department of Education regulations deliniate the requirements for teachers who teach students. All certificated staff and paraprofessionals must meet these requirements at the time of hire, and/or transfer into a position.

Principals are required to assign teachers to only teach classes for which the teacher is highly qualified and appropriately certified. Only in an emergency situation when no highly qualified or appropriately certified teacher is available may a teacher be assigned to teach a class for which the teacher is not highly qualfied/appropriately certified. In that event, the teacher must take steps to meet the requirements prior to the end of the current school year.

Teachers and long term substitutes must complete an attestation within the first four weeks of the school year to certify their highly qualified and appropriate certification status. Principals are required to have their Highly Qualified books in order and ready for auditing purposes by September 15th, of each school year. Each site's Highly Qualified book must hold the following:

• Completeted attestations for all Teachers, long-term substitutes and Paraprofessionals
• Supporting documentation showing how Teacher is highly qualified (i.e. transcripts, AEPA exam results, HOUSSE rubric if applicable)
• Master schedule showing all certified staff
• A copy of the teacher certification
• A copy of the teacher's fingerprint clearance card

Human Resources will schedule a time when the Principal will bring the school's Highly Qualified Book to Human Resources for an audit prior to Human Resources submission of its report to ADE.

By October 1st of each school year, Human Resources must report the highly qualified status of all teachers by reviewing, and confirming this data to the Arizona Department of Education.

After September 30th, when hiring a new teacher, a long-term substitute or a paraprofessional, the Principal is reponsible for ensuring that an attestation is completed and submitted to Human Resources within three (3) days of the placement.

When filling a vacancy, Principals shall complete a Recruitment Action Form specifying the class(es) to be taught by the teacher in order to establish the minimum qualifications for that position that will meet the highly qualified/appropriately certified state requriements.

Higly Qualified Paraprofessionals

Teacher Assistant must meet the following minimum requirements at the time of hire.

Associate's (or higher) degree, or two-years (60 Semester-Hour credits) of study at an institute of higher learning required; OR, the successful completion of an AZ Dept. of Education-approved Academic Assessment Test.

Reviewed: October 8, 2010 [Friday Report]