National World Language Teacher Certification Summit December 9, 2009 Alternate Routes to Teacher Certification Emily Feistritzer National Center for Alternative Certification National World Language Teacher Certification Summit December 9, 2009

What Is an Alternative Route to Teacher Certification? State licensing agencies have created alternatives to the “traditional” approved college, campus-based teacher education programs for certifying teachers

Alternate Routes are Market-Driven They are created to meet market demand for teachers in specific fields at specific grade levels where the demand for teachers is greatest. Perfect for world language teachers Most states allow for development of programs to meet specific needs

Facts from NCEI’s Alternative Teacher Certification: A State-by-State analysis 2009 Every state now has at least one alternate route to teacher certification 130 state alternate routes ~600 alternate route programs being implemented ~62,000 individuals issued certificates to teach through alternate routes in 2007-08 – nearly double the number just five years ago and one-third of all new teachers hired

Number of Alternative Routes to Teacher Certification in Each State 2006 Source: Basic data submitted by state alternate route officials to the National Center for Education Information, 2006.

Characteristics of “Alternate Routes” Candidates who get licensed to teach through alternate routes Have at least a bachelor’s degree. Pass a screening process, such as passing tests, interviews, and demonstrated mastery of content to be taught. Begin teaching – usually full-time – early. They engage in on-the-job training. Complete any coursework or equivalent experiences in professional education studies while teaching. Usually work with mentor teachers. Meet high performance standards.

Source: National Center for Education Information 2009

Source: National Center for Education Information 2009

Source: National Center for Education Information 2009 Source: National Center for Education Informtion Source: National Center for Education Information 2009

Source: National Center for Education Information 2009

Source: National Center for Education Information 2009

Source: National Center for Education Information 2009

“Teaching full time as a teacher of record during the program” far outranked any other variable as most helpful component of the AC program. (n = 632 to1393) Source: National Center for Education Information’s Survey of Individuals Entering Teaching Through Alternative Teacher Certification Programs © NCEI 2005

What the Research is Showing Zero difference after 2 years teaching Experience teaching #1 variable in developing competence to teach Followed by working with other teachers/colleagues Content and subject matter support Clinical experiences much more valuable than courses

What the Research Says about Teacher Effectiveness Pathway or route is not the issue Number of education courses is not the issue Who provides the program is not the issue

What Does Matter Who the CANDIDATE is matters most Selection of candidates is crucial Ongoing candidate assessment driving candidate’s program Clinical experience with support

For more information about alternate routes National Center for Alternative Certification 202-822-8280 www.teach-now.org