Technology—used to enhance teacher recruitment, aid certification preparation, and assist professional development—is one of the few tools school leaders still can use in the worsening shortage of qualified teachers. New federal regulations are highlighting the long-anticipated problem.

Starting now, according to the Improving Teacher Quality component of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), school districts that receive Title I funds must hire only "highly qualified" teachers—meaning those who are certified in the subjects they're teaching. By the end of 2005-06 school year, all teachers will have to meet the same requirement.

Although educators applaud the federal government's effort to improve teacher quality, they say meeting these requirements puts an extra burden on school systems already plagued by a shortage of teachers, particularly in science and math.

"The requirement doesn't take into consideration the market pressure that schools are under," said Paul Houston, executive director of the American Association of School Administrators (AASA). "There are very few school systems that try to put unqualified teachers in classrooms on purpose."

Cash-strapped state budgets, private sector competition, and a reduced ability to retain qualified teachers leave school leaders little room to maneuver. Technology is one of the few tools still available.

States have limited resources to devote to the problem, but many are using technology and the internet to aid districts in the recruiting process.

Carol Whelan, assistant superintendent for the office of high-quality educators at the Louisiana Department of Education, said 15.6 percent of Louisiana teachers are not certified or are teaching outside of their areas of expertise.

"Recruiting and retaining [are processes that] take time. There's a lot of competition. Every [other] state is recruiting as well," Whelan said.

To address the requirements, Louisiana has developed a plan to get teachers certified, set up regional computer labs where teachers can practice for certification exams, and started a teacher cadet program that targets students in high school who might be interested in becoming teachers.

The state also built a web page, called Teach Louisiana, that shows teachers what they need to do to get certified, lists jobs teachers can apply for, and shows parents what credentials their child's teacher has.

School districts compete with corporate America for highly skilled math, science, and technology professionals, yet because of budget constraints, they can't offer the same lucrative salaries and opportunities. To make matters worse, school districts also are stealing high-quality teachers from each other.

"When you are in a poorer school district, you have a hard time even competing with wealthier school districts," said Bill Krugler, deputy superintendent of the East Side Union School District in San Jose, Calif. Although Krugler's district is fully staffed for the start of the new school year, 13 percent of its 8,000 teachers have only emergency credentials—a situation reflected in districts across the country.