Frequently Asked Questions about EPSB’s TC-HQ Option

Why is the Education Professional Standards Board (EPSB) offering the TC-HQ option?
To ensure more Kentucky teachers meet the definition of "highly qualified" under the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001, the EPSB has implemented the TC-HQ certificate extension/endorsement option. According to NCLB guidelines, all teachers of core content subjects* must be "highly qualified."

* Elementary, middle, and secondary school teachers who instruct in the “core academic subjects” as defined in 34 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) §200.55 (c), are:

• English;
• reading/language arts (Kentucky’s “reading/writing”);
• mathematics;
• science;
• foreign languages;
• civics and government (Kentucky’s “political science”), economics, history, and geography (all of which fall under Kentucky’s “social studies”); and
• arts (Kentucky’s “art” and “music”)

Therefore, the TCHQ option is not available to teachers of content in career and technical education or driver education; teachers collaborating in the instruction of gifted or special education students; preschool teachers; or librarians, unless they also teach a core academic subject.

This option may be particularly interesting to teachers who wish to extend or add to their certificates due to changes in school configurations within their districts. For example, a teacher who has been teaching 6th grade math with a K-4/P-5 certificate is allowed to do so in a P-6 school configuration. However, this assignment is “out-of-field” should the district change to a 6-8 middle school configuration. Likewise, those teachers currently holding high school certification may be interested in extending their grade range down to grade 5 via a TC-HQ.

What is TC-HQ?
This process allows those teachers who already meet the following NCLB requirements to add a certificate endorsement or extension for a core content area:

1. hold a bachelor’s degree;
2. hold full state certification*;
3. hold a teaching job in their area of certification or have an offer of employment in their certification area or in the area being sought.

*Note that those holding the following types of credentials may NOT apply for the TC-HQ: statement of eligibility, emergency, adjunct, temporary, temporary provisional, conditional, probationary, or provisional internship.

What are the basic requirements for applying for the TC-HQ?

1. The application for the endorsement/extension must be submitted jointly by the applicant and the employing school district, and include the signature of the superintendent or his/her designee.
   
2. The applicant must have passed the required content-area PRAXIS assessment(s) in the endorsement/extension area, if applicable. (An additional Principles of Learning and Teaching (PLT) test is not required.)
   
3. The applicant has a declared major in the endorsement/extension area as evidenced by official transcripts from an accredited institution,
   OR
   The applicant has obtained 90 points on the EPSB's KY TC-HQ , with content coursework verified by a “clearinghouse” approved by the EPSB for this purpose.

What institution is currently serving as the clearinghouse for transcript reviews?
EPSB has contracted with a consortium of Kentucky universities to serve in this role.

What is the HOUSSE Index?
HOUSSE stands for High Objective Uniform State Standard of Evaluation. The EPSB originally implemented the HOUSSE Index "calculator" on its website earlier this year to assist teachers in meeting the federal "highly qualified" requirements. Since districts and teachers in Kentucky are familiar with this index, a similar tool is being used in the TC-HQ option for state certification. This "KY TC-HQ Index" allows teachers to combine previous relevant teaching experience, professional development, and coursework to be a factor in establishing competency in various core content certification areas.

Do I have to take a PRAXIS test with the TC-HQ process?
The only scenario in which the candidate would NOT have to take a PRAXIS test for the appropriate subject area/grade range is when the teacher has a declared major area and is wishing to extend grade range in that area from high school certification to middle school certification. The specifics of TC-HQ options may be viewed later in this document. PRAXIS test categories may be viewed here.

What is the cost and time frame to obtain the TC-HQ modification for the applicant?
If the applicant currently holds a high school subject-specific certificate, has a declared major in the subject area, and wishes only for the subject area to be extended to cover middle school grades, the cost for the option is $50.00. This type of modification may usually be processed in the EPSB office within 10 working days or less.

However, if the applicant is selecting an option that would entail the taking of a PRAXIS examination and transcript analysis, the cost will vary according to the examination cost. In addition to the $50.00 processing fee, candidates are responsible for paying the cost of the PRAXIS examination(s) and $96.00 for the transcript analysis. The timeframe for obtaining these types of modifications varies according to when the applicant is able to take and receive scores for the applicable PRAXIS test(s). Once these scores are received, transcript reviews will take five working days, and then the EPSB office will process the certificate in 10 working days or less.
While this does represent a cost to the applicant, it is less than the cost of traditional university-route options to extend or add certifications.

Am I guaranteed a certificate extension or addition via the TC-HQ process?
NO. Applicants must understand that the process is dependent upon a variety of factors including:

• the successful passing of a PRAXIS test and/or having a declared major in the appropriate subject area,
• the accumulation of 90 points on the KY TC-HQ Index, which will include the transcript analysis, along with the other experience factors.

It is strongly suggested that applicants begin their process by successfully passing the appropriate PRAXIS test (if required), and then moving forward with the remainder of the process. However, those applicants who are seeking a grade range extension and who have a declared major in the subject area should receive the TC-HQ.

What certificate endorsements and/or extensions are available via TC-HQ?
The TC-HQ offers a variety of options for teachers to extend and/or add a new subject area to their current certifications in a core subject area * . Below are the various options along with requirements needed and an example of each option.

* Elementary, middle, and secondary school teachers who instruct in the “core academic subjects” as defined in 34 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) §200.55 (c), are:

• English;
• reading/language arts (Kentucky’s “reading/writing”);
• mathematics;
• science;
• foreign languages;
• civics and government (Kentucky’s “political science”), economics, history, and geography (all of which fall under Kentucky’s “social studies”); and
• arts (Kentucky’s “art” and “music”)

Therefore, the TCHQ option is not available to teachers of content in areer and technical education or driver education; teachers collaborating in the instruction of gifted or special education students; preschool teachers; or librarians, unless they also teach a core academic subject.

CATEGORY A--Adding New Base/Endorsement at Same or New Grade Level

Pass Praxis (if applicable)
Have a declared major in the subject OR score 90 points on the KY TC-HQ Index as applicable to the subject, with content coursework verified by the clearinghouse.
An example of this option is a Grade K-8 or Grade 1-8 certified teacher who has extensive experience, expertise, and training in a middle school subject-specific classroom, e.g., mathematics, who wishes to use the TC-HQ option to add math 5-9 certification.

CATEGORY B--Moving to New Grade Level in Same Subject

High school to middle school:
Have a declared major in the subject OR score 90 points on KY TC-HQ Index as applicable to the subject, with content coursework verified by the clearinghouse.
An example of this option is a Grade 9-12 English certified teacher who wishes to extend the range of his/her certificate to cover grades 5-8.

High school to elementary school:
Pass Praxis (if applicable)
Have a declared major in the subject OR score 90 points on KY TC-HQ Index as applicable to the subject, with content coursework verified by the clearinghouse.
An example of this option is a Grade 9-12 Music certified teacher who wishes to extend the range of his/her certificate to K-12 Music.

Middle school to high school or elementary school:
Pass Praxis (if applicable)
Have a declared major in the subject OR score 90 points on KY TC-HQ Index as applicable to the subject, with content coursework verified by the clearinghouse
An example of this option is a Grades 5-9 Social Studies certified teacher who wishes to extend the range of his/her certificate to encompass grades 10-12.

Elementary school:
One cannot add an elementary certificate based on middle or high school level certificates since elementary is a separate certification program, not an endorsement or extension.
Older (K-8 or 1-8) elementary certificates cannot be extended to K-12.  For example, a Grade K-8 elementary certified teacher would not be able to extend such a certificate to K-12 certificate since general elementary certificates allow the holder to teach all subject areas.

Specialized/Restricted:
Not applicable (certificates already cover all applicable grade levels)
Examples of such certificates are Psychology 8-12, Sociology 8-12, Journalism 8-12, Speech/Media Communications 8-12, Theatre P-12, Dance P-12, Computer Information Systems P-12, ESL P-12, Driver Education 8-12, etc.)

Is the TC-HQ application an on-line process?
Because the application is a joint submission process, the form is only available at district personnel offices. However, teachers wishing to view a sample form (.pdf) are encouraged to do so since the form will give the applicant a more detailed overview of the steps in the TC-HQ process. The sample application may be viewed by clicking here (.pdf).

In addition, EPSB has developed a TC-HQ Checklist for use by applicants when considering this option. While situations vary for each candidate regarding the TC-HQ, this checklist does provide a general path for all candidates.