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The Highly Questionable "Highly Qualified" Label, Elaine Hampton

Elaine Hampton

The No Child Left Behind Act 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 tests. 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. The individuals provide evidence of …