No Educator Left Behind is a series providing answers from the U.S. No Educator Left Behind:
Teacher Capacity.

No Educator Left Behind is a series providing answers from the U.S. Department of Education to questions about the federal No Child Left Behind Act and how it will affect educators. If you have a question about No Child Left Behind, send an e-mail to Ellen Delisio, and we will submit your question to the Department of Education.

QUESTION:

In light of NCLB, how can an administrator build teacher capacity in order to meet the needs of all students?

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION:

School administrators must ensure that all teachers are highly qualified as defined by the No Child Left Behind Act. The law requires that teachers of core academic subjects meet three basic requirements: 1) Hold a bachelor's degree; 2) Obtain full state certification, which can be "alternative certification;" and 3) Demonstrate subject-matter competency in the core academic subjects taught.

Combined innovative long-term and short-term strategies such as alternative routes to certification, and professional development, can help with teacher recruitment and retention. The U.S. Department of Education Administrator's page provides resources and tools to help improve efforts to recruit and retain teachers.

NCLB authorizes professional development activities under Title II, Part A. Improving Teacher Quality State Grants provides state agencies with the flexibility to use these funds creatively to address challenges to teacher quality, whether they concern teacher preparation and qualifications of new teachers, recruitment and hiring, induction, professional development, teacher retention, or the need for more capable principals and assistant principals to serve as effective school leaders.

Read previous questions and answers in our No Educator Left Behind archive.