The Highly Questionable "Highly Qualified" Label

The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001 is instrumental in the national movement toward the use of one short answer test as the gate-keeping instrument to prevent or allow university graduates trained in education to enter the teaching profession. This investigation questions the wisdom of this test-based certification by looking at the impact on recent (university education program) graduates who have had difficulty passing the test. Four of these graduates provided information via in-depth interviews. The interview data provide evidence that raises questions about the value of taking these people out of the teaching profession. These people provide evidence of characteristics of qualified teachers such as academic success in many other areas and positive reviews from administration and teachers.