• Secondary special education settings:
A secondary special education teacher is eligible for this process if providing primary instruction in core academic subjects to students with disabilities who are not assessed with the California Alternative Performance Assessment (CAPA), regardless of the instructional setting. A special education teacher must be NCLB-compliant in one core academic subject or elementary multiple subjects and has up to three years from date of assignment as an eligible teacher to demonstrate subject matter competence in the four core academic subjects (e.g. English, mathematics, science, and social science).

• Secondary Alternative programs: 
As specified by California Education Code (EC) Section 44865, secondary alternative programs are limited to the following: home teacher; hospital classes; necessary small high schools; continuation schools; alternative schools; opportunity schools; juvenile court schools; county community schools; and community day schools. Teachers must be NCLB compliant in either English, mathematics, science, or social science and have up to three years from date of assignment as an eligible teacher to utilize the Subject Matter Verification Process for Secondary Teachers in Special Settings.

• Secondary Small Rural School Achievement (SRSA) Programs: Teachers must be NCLB compliant in either English, mathematics, science, or social science, and have up to three years from date of assignment as an eligible teacher to utilize this verification process. The teachers in this setting have options for demonstrating core academic subject matter competence under the SRSA flexibility granted by the ED. 

• Independent study is an alternative instructional strategy and not an alternative curriculum. Teachers in these secondary special settings who use the independent study instructional strategy would be eligible to use the Subject Matter Verification Process. 
 
How does VPSS Work?
To demonstrate NCLB subject matter competency with the Subject Matter Verification Process for Secondary Teachers in Special Settings the teacher must have the equivalent of a subject matter undergraduate major in English, mathematics, science and social science.

If a teacher has less than a major but the equivalent of a minor, 20 total or 10 upper division semester units (or quarter unit-equivalent) in a core academic subject, the teacher must complete a Level 2 High Quality Professional Development Course which meets the high quality professional development specifications and rubrics outlined in the NCLB Teacher Requirements Resource Guide, March 2004 (TRRG), the subject matter specifications in Appendix A (available under "VPSS Information" section on this webpage), and is approved by the superintendent of a district or county office.

If the teacher has less than 20 total or 10 upper division semester units (or quarter unit-equivalent) in a core subject, the teacher must complete a Level 1 High Quality Professional Development Course and a Level 2 High Quality Professional Development Course in the core subject. Both levels must meet the high quality professional development specifications and rubrics outlined in the TRRG, the subject matter specifications in Appendix A (available under "VPSS Information" section on this webpage) and are approved by the superintendent of a district or county office.