Teacher quality targeted

Utah has been designated as "high risk" and will be monitored by the U.S. Department of Education until it comes up with an acceptable plan to ensure all teachers are highly qualified under federal standards.

Three other states are in a similar position, and most states still face an enormous challenge in putting qualified teachers in all major classes, a federal review says.

The department notified Utah of the action in a Tuesday letter to State Superintendent of Public Instruction Patti Harrington.

"Given the substantial deficiencies noted in the peer reviewers' assessment, with which we concur, the department is designating your agency as high-risk and will monitor your state as soon as possible," the letter states. "The department intends to audit your submitted data (on the percentage of highly qualified teachers in core academic subjects) to ensure that it is comprehensive and accurate."

The department says it will contact the State Office of Education in the next few days to schedule a monitoring visit.

The action seemed a surprise to State Associate Superintendent Ray Timothy. Utah did not submit a plan to address the matter by the department's July deadline. But it did provide an outline of action, with a letter saying Utah wanted to take until Oct. 1 to create a thoughtful plan. Since the department never responded, Timothy said, the State Office of Education thought everything was OK.

"I find it interesting that we have received no communication since," Timothy said Wednesday. "In discussion with Department of Education officials, they understood where we are, they are offering any kind of help that we would like, and I found the discussion to be very cordial.

"I feel fully confident the process we have taken is the right thing we should have done. We've involved our stakeholders, and our plan will be acceptable, and I am confident Utah will be fully compliant."

He also plans to request the department reconsider the high-risk status.

The department wants Utah's teacher quality data and plan by Nov. 1.

The department can withhold money from states that fall short on teacher quality.

The action follows last week's report by the Education Trust, which advocates for underprivileged children. The group said Utah was among three states without a plan to ensure poor and minority children are not disproportionately taught by rookie or underqualified teachers. That report also recommended the Education Department reject most states' plans and give better guidance on what they wanted states to do.

Under the No Child Left Behind law, states were supposed to have highly qualified teachers in every core academic class by the end of the last school year. None made it.