Which criteria did the U.S. Department of Education use to define 'non‑professional' degrees in the 2025 reclassification?

1. What the provided documents actually cover — state and local reclassification rules

The documents returned by the search relate mainly to teacher reclassification procedures at the state or local level and to English‑learner reclassification/exit criteria. For example, Hawaii’s Teacher Reclassification Guidelines (2024–2025) discuss which credits are eligible for teacher reclassification (Department PD credits, approved OCID courses) and which are ineligible (credits taken while not employed by the department, certain continuing‑education credits) ^{[1] [2] [3]}. California and other state pages cover LEA procedures and multiple criteria for reclassifying English learners based on state education code and assessments ^{[4] [5] [6]}.

2. No evidence here of a federal 2025 “non‑professional” degree reclassification rule

Among the supplied sources there is no document authored by or attributed to the U.S. Department of Education that sets a 2025 federal definition or reclassification rule labeling degrees “non‑professional.” The search results include state guidance, slide decks about position reclassification, and news about broader DOE restructuring, but none of these provide a federal definition of “non‑professional” degrees in a 2025 reclassification (available sources do not mention a federal 2025 definition).

3. Where similar language appears — local eligibility and credit‑type distinctions

When reclassification language appears in the provided materials, it concerns eligibility for state or district reclassification (teacher pay bands or English‑learner exit), and often distinguishes acceptable credit types and documentation. Hawaii’s guidance specifies Department PD credits approved by OCID as eligible for reclassification credit and lists specific non‑eligible categories ^{[1] [3]}. State EL reclassification pages require objective ELP assessment scores and additional supporting evidence per state procedures ^{[4] [5]}.

4. Confusion risks — “reclassification” used for different things

The term “reclassification” is used across the materials for distinct administrative actions: (a) teacher salary/credential reclassification based on coursework or position standards (Hawaii, other slide decks), (b) student/English‑learner exit or redesignation based on assessment criteria (California, Colorado, Texas). A reader searching for a federal definition of “non‑professional” degrees in 2025 may be seeing mixed results because the same word applies to very different processes at state/local levels ^{[1] [2] [4] [5] [6]}.

5. What the news results show about federal DOE activity (and limits of those sources)

A Politico article in the set covers a 2025 plan to restructure and outsource many Education Department operations under the Trump administration, but it does not describe any specific reclassification of academic degrees or definitions of “non‑professional” degrees ^[7]. That story indicates major organizational changes but does not supply criteria or definitions relevant to your query ^[7].

6. How to pursue a definitive answer — where to look next

To find an authoritative federal definition, check primary U.S. Department of Education publications (Federal Register notices, DOE policy memos, guidance letters) or official DOE webpages dated 2025 that specifically discuss degree classifications or reclassification rules. The documents provided here do not include those federal primary sources (available sources do not mention a federal 2025 definition).

7. Possible alternate explanations for the phrase “non‑professional degrees” in reporting

Given the absence of a federal source in this set, the phrase could originate from: (a) state/local HR or teacher reclassification rules distinguishing professional vs. non‑professional credits (as in Hawaii guidance) ^{[1] [2]}; (b) media or advocacy shorthand about degree types in wider DOE restructuring coverage ^[7]; or (c) organizational position reclassification materials (slide decks about reclassifying positions) that use “professional” in a different HR sense ^[8]. The provided documents support these alternative loci but do not confirm a federal 2025 policy.

Limitations: this analysis strictly uses the supplied search results and makes no claims beyond them; if you want, I can search official U.S. Dept. of Education releases, the Federal Register, or additional news reporting for any 2025 federal rule that may define “non‑professional” degrees.