No Child Left Behind Act Improved Accessibility To Educations Information Could Help States Further Implement Teacher Qualification Requirements Report To Congressional Requesters PDF Download

This GAO report examines response of 47 states to the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLBA) of 2001 that established qualification requirements for teachers of core academic subjects that must meet by the end of the 2005-2006 school year. With the deadline approaching for all teachers to meet the requirements, GAO was asked to examine the following: (1) the status of state efforts to meet NCLBA's teacher qualification requirements; (2) the use of Title II funds in selected districts; and (3) how the U.S. Department of Education (Education) monitors states and assists them with implementation of the requirements. To help states address the issues of teacher quality and ensure that all teachers meet NCLBA's qualification requirements, the GAO recommends that the Secretary of Education explore ways to make the Web-based information on teacher qualification requirements more accessible to users of its Web site through such activities as more prominently displaying the link to state teacher initiatives or enhancing the capability of the search function. Appended are: (1) Activities on Which States and Districts Can spend Title II, Part A Funds; (2) State- Reported Percentage of Core Academic Classes Taught by Teachers Meeting NCLBA's Teacher Qualification Requirements in the 2003-2004 School Year; (3) Sample HOUSSE Procedures from Two States Visited; (4) Comments from the U.S. Department of Education; and (5) GAO Contact and Staff Acknowledgments. (Contains 4 figures, 4 tables, and a short list of abbreviations.).