linguistic:paraphrasing
Alignment with No Child Left Behind

In looking to align NCLB and the 2004 reauthorization of IDEA, there are a few key areas of alignment: requirement of highly qualified teachers; an establishment of goals for students with disabilities; and assessment levels for these students. The alignment of NCLB and IDEA requires that all special education teachers be highly qualified. While the standards for being highly qualified may differ between state or school district, the minimum requirements are that a teacher hold a bachelor's degree from a four-year college, be certified and licensed to teach by the state and have taken the necessary tests to indicate competency in one's subject area, although special education teachers are often exempt from such testing. These requirements for highly qualified teachers do not always exist for private schools, elementary or secondary. Next, goals and assessments must be provided to align with students' educational needs. A state is allowed to develop alternate or modified assessments for students in special education programs, but benchmarks and progress must still be met on these tests that indicate adequate yearly progress (AYP). In addition, these goals and assessments must be aligned similarly to students enrolled in general education. Finally, in order to make AYP, schools may additionally require that schools meet state standards of student retention in terms of dropout rates and graduate rates for their special education students.