The federal law requires teachers to have a degree in their field and to pass a certification test on that subject. Missouri's definition of a high- quality teacher fell short. The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education said many veteran teachers don't need to take a test, so DESE hopes to avoid extra homework.

"We want to do this in the least intrusive way so that every teacher doesn't have to jump through a bunch of hoops to satisfy our paperwork needs when they're trying to get school started," said the DESE's Jim Morris. "I think everybody understands the mandate of No Child Left Behind. And we certainly want to all send the same signal that we care about quality teachers."

DESE is collecting updated information from school districts across the state, and expects to send a plan to Washington, D.C. by Nov. 1 on how to improve Missouri's grade.