The No Child Left Behind Act requires states to file data on teacher quality.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Tennessee and Maine are among the seven states missed a deadline to file information about teacher quality with the federal government as required by the “No Child Left Behind” law.

But Tennessee officials say they’ve corrected the situation by telling the U.S. Department of Education how many teachers meet new federal guidelines intended to ensure that classes are taught by a licensed teacher with a strong background in the subject.

“Our information was delayed because of the time line – it was just something we couldn’t meet,” said Debbie Gilliam, director of teacher quality and special programs for the state. “We’ve done the best that we can do, and we’ve tried to put forth a good-faith effort.”

Other states that missed the deadline are Louisiana, Montana, New Jersey, New York and South Carolina.

The “No Child Left Behind” law requires states to spell out how their teachers could meet the new requirement and be considered “highly qualified.”

The deadline for classroom teachers to achieve that status is the 2005-06 academic year. However, teachers in schools in low-income areas are expected to comply this school year.

Tennessee’s compliance plan was completed in late August. But state officials said there wasn’t enough time to send it to every school, check the qualifications of each teacher and return the information to the federal government by the Sept. 1 deadline.

There is no penalty for submitting the data late. The information is intended to provide schools, parents and others with information to help them make decisions.

The law defines public school teachers “highly qualified” if they meet the following conditions:

• Earn a bachelor’s degree.

• Obtain a teaching certificate.

• Demonstrate competency in each academic subject area they teach by passing a test, earning national certification or having an academic major, graduate degree or completing comparable coursework in the field.

Many states, including Tennessee, give veteran teachers additional options to meet the requirements.

Teachers can be considered “highly qualified” if their students make above-average academic gains or they can show their expertise through things such as years of experience, awards and leadership posts.

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