Well known for its student progress provisions, the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) also mandates accountability at the state and local levels to with regard to "product quality" among educators based on solid research that has linked teacher quality to student achievement (Sanders, et. al., 1996). NCLB also gives guidance to SEAs and LEAs about the types of programs that should be developed to both ensure that all educators are "highly qualified" and that professional development activities lead to a demonstrable increase in student achievement. Endorsed objectives for these initiatives include the following:

	Reforming educator certification, recertification or licensing requirements at the state level
	Carrying out programs that establish, expand, or improve alternative routes for state certification or licensure of educators
	Developing and implementing mechanisms to assist districts and schools in effectively recruiting and retaining highly qualified teachers, especially those with high demand endorsements
	Developing, or assisting in the development of, merit-based pay for performance programs
	Providing professional development for educators

To better define the criteria by which a “highly qualified” designation is earned, the Highly Objective, Uniform State Standard of Evaluation (HOUSSE) was developed. Under HOUSSE, each state must implement a comprehensive accountability program for educators by the 2005-06 academic year that includes the following key elements:

	Grade appropriate academic subject matter knowledge and teaching skills for educators
	Alignment of these with K-12 academic standards for the state
	Provision of objective, coherent information about each educator's attainment of core knowledge and skills in their respective professional areas

UpSlope is actively engaged in research and development leading to effective, common sense enterprise level products and support services that directly support each of these NCLB educator quality guidelines.