Recent research demonstrates that teacher quality has a greater impact on student achievement than any other educational factor. Yet there is concern that overall teacher quality is variable, and hard-to-staff schools (i.e., high poverty and minority schools) have an even more difficult time recruiting and retaining quality teachers. The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004 (IDEA) both mandate "highly qualified teachers" in public school classrooms. The purpose of this document is to: (1) briefly describe the requirements for highly qualified teachers (HQT) as established in NCLB and IDEA; (2) identify how states are supporting special education teachers to meet these requirements; and (3) offer policy recommendations generated by the National Center for Special Education Personnel and Related Service Providers (Personnel Center) and the Center for Improving Teacher Quality (CTQ) at the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO). (Contains 6 footnotes.)