Alternative Teacher Certification Research Articles

ALTERNATIVE CERTIFICATION FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHERS IN KENTUCKY

The article is devoted to the issue of training special education teachers in Kentucky in a non-traditional way, with the help of alternative programs. The author provides a general description of such programs: analyzes their content, considers the forms and methods of training “alternative” teachers of special education. It was determined that the primary goal of creating alternative teacher certification programs was to fill the overall teacher shortage. However, in the process of implementation, the programs varied and were refined, which ultimately led to a change in their functionality. Alternative training programs began to be created as early as the 1980s and provided for the stimulation of an increase in the total number of teachers. It was found that each state has its own principles regarding alternative teacher certification. Most states have established unique alternative teaching certification programs. Many states have more than one program, allowing candidates to choose an option. It was found that in 2017‒2018 only 13.7% of all public school students in the United States were eligible for IDEA programm. Therefore, the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) has made a significant effort to increase the number of qualified special education teachers in the state by developing eight alternative teacher certification pathways for those interested in entering the teaching profession. The majority of educational institution administrations have a positive attitude towards alternative programs. That’s why was made a conclusion regarding the importance of this type of pedagogical training to ensure the necessary number of pedagogical workers and maintain high standards of education in the USA.
 Keywords: alternative programs; alternative teacher certification; special teacher training programs; professional development; special education; teaching profession; pedagogical training; non-traditional training programs.

ОСОБЛИВОСТІ ПІДГОТОВКИ ВЧИТЕЛІВ ТА ВИКЛАДАЧІВ ІНОЗЕМНИХ МОВ У ЗАКЛАДАХ ВИЩОЇ ОСВІТИ США

The article deals with the issue of the professional foreign language teachers and lecturers training in the USA. The purpose of the article is to highlight the peculiarities of the professional foreign language teachers and lecturers training in the USA within the scope of the study, one of the tasks of which is to identify positive American experience for its implementation in higher education institutions of Ukraine. It is argued that the process of modernization of professional language education in the USA takes place according to the principles of variability and pluralism, and this is what determines the spread of mixed methods of foreign language learning, where traditional and innovative methods are combined. The article notes that there are two ways to obtain a foreign language teacher certificate: traditional (Traditional Teaching Certification) and alternative (Alternative Teaching Certification). The traditional path involves training a prospective foreign language teacher at a college or university in the field of education that is regionally accredited and approved by the state board of education with a bachelor’s degree, and an alternative certification program can be conducted by both school districts and non-profit organizations, based on the already obtained bachelor’s degree in education. It is noted that the alternative teacher certification was originally introduced to fill an acute shortage of teachers, but today it aims at attracting talented people who want to teach and have a bachelor’s degree, but do not have an educational experience. Both certification paths include practical teaching experience as a capstone component, with practicum completion dates set by the state and depending on the type of Teacher Certification the candidate is seeking. The research has shown that a foreign language teacher in the United States must revalidate their certificate every few years in order to maintain the right to teach. The article examines that the most common educational programs among future teachers are the training of teachers of Spanish, French, Latin, German, and Chinese. The authors proved that the system of professional foreign language teachers and lecturers training in the USA is multi-level, and built in accordance with all international standards: bachelor’s, master’s, postgraduate and doctoral studies. Each level is described in detail in the article: requirements for applicants for enrollment in the educational program, tasks and content of the educational program. The authors provide a list of the most popular states among future applicants, where foreign language teachers are trained, as well as the best institutions of higher education, where foreign language lecturers are professionally trained for master’s and doctoral degrees. At the end of the article, the authors present the conclusion that the professional training of foreign language teachers and lecturers in the USA is carried out according to government standards, but the requirements for admission to educational programs vary and differ according to the requirements of each university, as well as the requirements for the certification of a foreign language teacher. With the exception of five states, future teachers are required to take a PLT (Principles of Learning & Teaching) test before college or university practicum. And it is also noted that in order to fully understand how useful the experience of training foreign language teachers can be for the improvement of the education system of Ukraine, further scientific research is needed on the development trends of the US system in the field of foreign language teachers and lecturers training.

Ready and Able? Perceptions of Confidence and Teaching Support for First-Year Alternatively Certified Teachers

To investigate the influence of preservice and in-service supports on teacher perceptions of their confidence to teach and of being supported, this study employed qualitative and quantitative approaches to analyze survey responses and interviews from teachers who received their preparation from a university-led alternative teacher certification program. Survey responses revealed that, prior to entering their classrooms for the first time, participants felt very confident in their ability to teach content, address student differences, manage student behavior, use instructional technology, and meet student needs. This confidence decreased upon entering their classrooms as full-time teaching interns, but survey responses indicated increasing confidence as those internships progressed. In interviews, teachers reported that while their preparation program was influential in shaping their early career experiences and future career plans, it was in-service supports and having a positive relationship with their school administrators which were more meaningful.

Professional development needs of novice alternatively certified teachers in Florida: teachers’ perspectives

ABSTRACT Alternative teacher certification routes in the United States gained recognition in response to the teacher shortage since the 1980s. However, the unique challenges these teachers face result in concerns of quality and retention. The purposes of this study were to (a) investigate novice alternatively certified teachers’ (ACT) perspectives on school leaders’ knowledge of the developmental supports necessary for their classroom success and (b) inform school and higher education leaders about gaps that exist in professional development opportunities for these teachers. Addressing these gaps could lead to the ultimate goal of teacher satisfaction, resulting in quality and retention in the classroom. Novice ACTs perceived their school leaders had limited knowledge regarding alternative certification requirements and preparation, and they identified some efforts of their school leaders to provide professional development. Opportunities were impactful when they were relevant to specific teacher challenges.

From the High School Journal Editorial Board: Living in an Anti-globalization era: A Call for Promoting Critical Multiculturalism and Multicultural Education for Immigrant Teachers and Students in Secondary Education

From the High School Journal Editorial Board:Living in an Anti-globalization era: A Call for Promoting Critical Multiculturalism and Multicultural Education for Immigrant Teachers and Students in Secondary Education Xinxin Wang and Linyu Yu Since the beginning of 2020, the outbreak of coronavirus disease has challenged fundamental ways of living, including the economy and social structures. The world has been experiencing economic recessions, job market losses, health and safety concerns, and school closures. In the United States (U.S.), most schools at all educational levels were forced to shut down or pivot to distance learning immediately in Spring 2020. Insecurity and fear arose among people due to the quick spread of the pandemic and have created discriminatory responses and social exclusion disproportionately against people of color and immigrants (Devakumar et al, 2020). This increasing racism and othering has disrupted the education system's commitment to social justice. Few studies as of yet have examined the impact of the pandemic and anti-globalism against immigrant teachers and students in secondary education. With the previous U.S. administration's stringent immigration policy, restricted international travels, and rising anti-Asian hate crimes worldwide, it is a critical time to re-examine the educational conditions that immigrant teachers and students, particularly Asian American and international students, are experiencing during the anti-globalization era. Globalization has indeed been a phenomenon that cannot be avoided or denied. Knight (1997) conceptualized globalization as "the flow of technology; economy, knowledge, people, values, ideas...across borders" (p.6). Economy, education, politics, culture and every aspect of family life, particularly in the U.S. (e.g., food, clothing, transportation, and social media), are impacted by globalization. The sentiments and actions of anti-globalization are in response to globalization as a contributor to a higher global mobility across borders with no barriers in that globalization might indirectly boost the spread of the coronavirus. The rise of anti-globalization and nationalism during the pandemic has manifested in many aspects of life from "the closure of borders and the difficulty of mobilizing support and solidarity across them, to the fear [of illness, financial distress, social instability that] many people experience...[T]he response appears to make nationalism more salient as people look to support their own communities" (Bieber, 2020b, p. 1). Nationalism is argued to be a predominating ideology and practice in the U.S. and the world that values membership in a nation and downplays the uniqueness of other cultures (Bieber, 2020a). The pandemic and the voices of anti-globalization and nationalism impact every community and school and its teachers and students. However, more attention needs to be on the intersectionality of (post)pandemic anti-globalization and nationalism and its consequences on [End Page 79] immigrant teachers and students who represent the movement of people and ideas across borders. Immigrants accounted for about 13.7% of the U.S. population in 2018 (Budiman, 2020). Immigrant teachers in this editorial are defined as those who are foreign-born and came to the U.S. after receiving a majority of K-12 education in their home countries (Ndukwe, 2019). These teachers came to the U.S. for a variety of reasons such as higher education, family, refugee status, and job opportunities; and they hold citizenship, permanent resident status or temporary work visas. States on the eastern and western coast along with Alaska and Hawaii see the higher percentage of immigrant teachers in their teaching workforce compared to the Midwest (Starz, 2017). With regard to subjects, immigrant teachers are teaching in high-need areas such as mathematics, science, and special education as well as foreign language, English to speakers of other languages (ESOL), and bilingual education. The rise of immigrant teachers is seen as a response to the increase of linguistically and culturally diverse students in the U.S. (Ross & Ahmed, 2016) as well as a critical shortage of new teachers in the teacher preparation pipeline (U.S. Department of Education, 2011). Many efforts have been made in the U.S. educational system to recruit immigrant teachers. For example, many states develop alternative routes to teaching careers and there has also been federal support for alternative teacher certification (Gross, 2018). Within school districts and...

Supporting Black Male Preservice Teachers: Evidence from an Alternative Teacher Certification Program

ABSTRACT Drawing on semistructured interviews with 20 Black male preservice teachers, this article examines one alternative teacher certification program’s attempt to support these aspiring educators through an affinity group. Although a growing body of research highlights the challenges preservice Black teachers experience in their preparation programs, there is less research about how preparation programs create supportive environments for aspiring Black teachers and specifically Black male teachers. To fill this empirical gap, we explored the following research question: How do Black male preservice teachers describe the role of an affinity group in shaping their experience in their preparation program and in their clinical site? Findings from this study pointed to positive effects of participation in the affinity group for Black male preservice teachers. Specifically, affinity group participants communicated their needs openly with one another and facilitators, felt solidarity with one another—which allowed for collaborative problem solving—and cultivated tools for self-advocacy to meet both professional and personal goals. Implications for research, policy, and practice are discussed.

Alternative Teacher Certification Students’ Motivations of Teaching

The legal studies teaching methodology IRAC (issue, rule, application, conclusion) is widely used in universities by both law and business schools. This paper examines the effectiveness of IRAC from a teaching perspective and its usefulness for business students. Data is generated from an Australian university case study using teacher interviews and a student survey. The findings suggest that, because of its flexibility and logical structure, the practice of IRAC has become normalised. However it is only effective if teachers disseminate these features consistently in their teaching. Students in the study understood the usefulness of IRAC for classwork, but encountered application difficulties in assessment tasks. Although the study sample is limited, legal studies teachers in other tertiary and secondary settings can benefit from the findings, and the recommendations that periodic reflection and greater collaborative efforts are required when using IRAC to progress students’ legal studies skills.

It’s Who You Know: The Role of Social Networks in a Changing Labor Market

Teacher labor markets are evolving across the United States. The rise of charter schools, alternative teacher certification, and portfolio districts are transforming teachers’ access to employment, changing the way they search for and apply for jobs, and may also change the role that social networks play in the job search. However, we know little about how teachers use their networks to find jobs, particularly in increasingly fragmented local labor markets. We draw on interviews with 127 teachers in three districts chosen to reflect an increasing presence of charter schools: New Orleans, Detroit, and San Antonio. We find that the extent of fragmentation in a city’s labor market drives the use of networks, with important implications for job access and equity.

Teach For America and Teacher Quality: Increasing Achievement Over Time

Teach For America (TFA), a prominent alternative teacher certification program, has evolved substantially since it began in 1989. However, most studies ignore this potential variation when evaluating TFA’s effects on student outcomes. Using 12 years of administrative data, I test whether TFA’s effects on achievement differ over time, focusing on a major reform introduced in 2005 and testing for changes in the qualifications of TFA corps members recruited before and after this reform. I find that TFA’s effects on achievement increased over time in some subjects and grade levels. However, these changes do not occur immediately following the reforms, nor are they explained by most observable teacher quality indicators. Instead, results indicate gradual improvement over time in many subjects. These results help explain divergent findings in previous research from different periods and underscore the importance of understanding the continuing evolution of alternative teacher certification programs.

Teaching for America Across Two Hemispheres: Comparing the Ideological Appeal of the Teach for All Teacher Education Model in the United States and Brazil

The last several decades have seen significant growth among private options in alternative teacher education and certification. In this article, I draw on two parallel ethnographic studies of the experiences of participants in variants of one particular alternative teacher education model, developed by Teach For America in the United States and spread internationally by Teach For All. Through analysis of interviews with recruits from Teach For America and its Brazilian sister organization Ensina!, I explore the thinking processes that leads young people to join these organizations, as well as how that thinking changes after 2 years of teaching in the classroom. I find that while participants in these studies joined because they admired the Teach For All teacher education model, many left their 2-year commitment questioning the underlying theories of change driving it.

Attitudes of Teacher Candidates Studying in Physical Education and Alternative Teacher Certification Programs towards Teaching Profession

Attitudes of Teacher Candidates Studying in Physical Education and Alternative Teacher Certification Programs towards Teaching Profession

Using Classroom Observations and Student Surveys to Evaluate Alternatively Certified Teachers

One of the greatest challenges faced by school leaders across the United States is the recruitment of high-quality educators, and many programs have been developed to address this problem. This study evaluates one such program. We evaluate the Arkansas Teacher Corps (ATC), an alternative teacher certification program that places teachers in high-needs schools in Arkansas. We measure teacher effectiveness through classroom observations and student surveys. We form our comparison group by matching ATC Fellows with 1–2 similar teachers in the same school who were not certified through ATC. We use multivariate regression to examine differences between ATC Fellows and comparison teachers on multiple dimensions of teaching. Students rate ATC teachers as significantly more effective on teacher-student relationships in class, teacher-student relationships out of class, and class engagement. Third-party observers detect no significant differences.

Move over Nelly: lessons from 30 years of employment-based initial teacher education in England

ABSTRACT Recruiting, preparing and retaining high-quality teachers are recurrent themes of local, national and international education agendas. Traditional university-led forms of teacher education continue to be challenged, and defended, as nations strive to secure a teaching force equipped to achieve high-quality learning outcomes for all students. One commonly adopted policy solution has been the diversification of teacher preparation routes: the alternative certification agenda. In this article, we examine the entire history of one alternative route in place in England from 1997 to 2012, the Graduate Teacher Programme. Using one example of an employment-based programme, we argue that opportunities to engineer innovative and creative spaces in the face of the current teacher preparation reform agenda need to be seized. This case study, which is contextualised in both the international debates about alternative teacher certification routes and the current policy agenda in England, demonstrates the extent to which successive administrations have failed to learn from the lessons of the past in the rush to recycle policies and claim them as their own.

Help (not) wanted: Neo-liberal discourses of leadership against community knowledge and control in comparative context

This article compares two neo-liberal education reform activities that are not often studied in tandem: alternative teacher certification in the USA, as explored through Teach for America, and the growing international service learning movement. Guided by the Movement for Black Lives’ call for a world where those “most impacted in our communities control the laws, institutions, and policies that are meant to serve us,” the authors explore the ways in which programs’ neo-liberal justifications obscure the authority, history, and agency of the communities they purport to serve, while convincing people outside of the community that those within are benefitted. The comparisons drawn highlight the ways in which deficit orientations permeate different local and global contexts to perpetuate and normalize privatization and the wresting of control from local communities. In making this comparison, the authors aim to better understand what these programs have in common: a white supremacist world view at once unstated and pervasive, which reinforces harmful ideas about what it is to respond to the purported needs and desires of others, not expressed in their own terms. This globalization of “helping” may increase the difficulty of those targeted by such “help” to speak in their own terms.

Turkish student teachers’ attitudes toward teaching in university-based and alternative certification programs in Turkey

The objective of this study is to comparatively analyze the university-based and alternative teacher certification systems in Turkey in terms of the attitudes of trainee teachers toward the teaching profession, explore the reasons of choosing teaching as a career as well as analyze attitudes by gender, department, and graduating faculty type in the frame of dominant ideological and economical paradigms. For the study, rational screening model was used, employing mixed methods research strategy. Participants in the study were 208 trainee teachers from the departments at the faculty of educational sciences and 200 trainee teachers at alternative certification programs at the same university. As a result of this research, it was found that university-based trainee teachers have better attitudes than trainee teachers of alternative certification programs toward the teaching profession and that female trainee teachers in both groups had better attitudes toward the teaching profession. Further, it was found that university-based trainee teachers utilized intrinsic motivators more, whereas trainees at alternative certification programs mainly utilized extrinsic motivators for career choice. Thus, intrinsic motivations of student teachers need to be strengthened as without realizing and emphasizing the divine values and the respectability of the teaching profession, it would be impossible to raise a new generation of teachers with high levels of intrinsic motivation, and the result could be having an army of technicians aiming to earn more money or have a more comfortable life rather than intellectuals who believe in contributing to and making a change in the lives of students.

From the Pulpits to the Boards: A Study on Prospective Second Career Teachers in Turkey

<p class="apa">Teaching career is the widest state employment type in Turkey. The career is resourced by many higher education institutions besides the ones deploying regular teacher training programs. Teacher candidates other than the graduates from education faculties have to attend a program specially designed to instruct on foundations of education such as theories, principles, strategies, planning, teaching methods and assessment. That alternative teacher certification program paves the way to transition to teaching career as well. This study was carried out with 11 religious officials who intend to shift into teaching career. The data was collected through 5 essays written by each participant while they were attending the program. The study was conducted as content analyses of total 55 essays. The analyses revealed that the participants, 1 preacher-woman, 4 mosque leaders-preachers and 6 Quran instructors, did not display any role confliction, intended to use their skills and experiences developed through their current careers selectively. The results were discussed with relevant available literature.</p>

Beginning teachers' experience of the workplace learning environment in alternative teacher certification programs: A mixed methods approach

Workplace learning in early entry (EE) teacher education programs has been proposed as an alternative to traditional programs and as bridging the theory-practice gap in teacher education. However, there is little empirical evidence for the underlying assumption that one can become a highly qualified teacher by merely being a teacher. This article discusses to what extent students of teaching in EE programs experience their work environment as a stimulating learning environment. The results of semi-structured interviews and an online survey suggest that schools tend to hinder rather than serve the purpose of workplace learning. Obstructions and supporting conditions are discussed.

Alternative Teacher Certification and the New Professionalism: The Pre-service Preparation of Mathematics Teachers in the New York City Teaching Fellows Program

Background/ContextFor more than a decade, large alternative teacher certification programs (ATCP) such as the New York City Teaching Fellows (NYCTF) have provided qualified applicants with fast-track or “early entry” routes to paid teaching. While early-entry ATCPs enjoy powerful support in the public and private sectors, critics (e.g., Zeichner, 2010) claim that early-entry ATCPs are aligned with a “new professionalism” which views teaching as a technical undertaking and teachers as easily replaceable implementers of others’ prescriptive ideas. Yet little is known about the knowledge, skills, and dispositions these programs seek to develop in teachers during pre-service preparation.Purpose/Focus of StudyThis study seeks to understand the nature of teacher preparation in early-entry ATCPs and how this reflects both the trends associated with the new professionalism and broader traditions of teacher education. The paper focuses on preparation of pre-service mathematics teachers who began the NYCTF program in the summer of 2007.Research DesignResults for this paper are based on a mixed-methods analysis of curriculum and survey data. Curriculum data included course materials, journal entries and daily audio reflections, and exit interviews for nine mathematics teacher candidates who began NYCTF in the summer of 2007. The two authors coded this qualitative data with a high degree of inter-rater reliability. Survey data was collected from 90% of the approximately 300 mathematics candidates who began NYCTF in the summer of 2007. The analysis focused on responses to Likert-scale survey items that inquired about the focus of pre-service coursework. The Mann Whitney test was used to gauge the statistical significance of curricular differences reported by mathematics candidates in different sections of the NYCTF program.Findings/ResultsWe find that only some of the major components of NYCTF summer preparation were well aligned with the expectations of the new professionalism. In particular, the curriculum delivered by NYCTF staff and staff at one of the four university coursework providers seemed to meet these expectations. Whereas, to varying degrees, the curriculum delivered by staff at the three other university partners did not. We also find that pre-service preparation was subject-general and featured little in the way of mathematics-specific teaching methods.Conclusions/RecommendationsThe results simultaneously support, extend, nuance, and challenge the hypothesis that such early-entry ATCPs such as NYCTF prepare program participants to meet the expectations of the new professionalism. The conclusion includes discussions of both the promise of early-entry ATCPs and how schools of education might respond to the rise of early-entry ATCPs and the trend of the new professionalism.

Teach for Australia (TFA): can it overcome educational disadvantage?

This paper considers an alternative teacher certification pathway known as Teach for Australia (TFA) that is currently operating in the Australian state of Victoria. A discursive approach informed by critical theory is used in the paper to critically examine the specific case of TFA as an alternative teacher certification pathway charged with improving student learning outcomes and reducing educational disadvantage. The problematization of educational programmes such as TFA, including specific terms and statements found in TFA documentation, features prominently in the paper alongside the political and economic policy context of public education. The argument and central contention of the paper is that TFA will not overcome educational disadvantage; nor will it over time improve student learning outcomes.

<p>Teacher Perceptions of the Indiana Workplace Specialist I Licensure Training Program during the 2011-2012 Academic Year</p>

Alternative teacher licensure, also known as alternative teacher certification, is a growing national trend in education, and it has long been common in the field of career and technical education. Alternatively licensed teachers often enter teaching with a wealth of subject area knowledge due to their previous work experience. Mentorship programs are one of the best ways to help alternatively certified teachers to successfully navigate their first year in the classroom. This study investigated the teacher perceptions of the Indiana Workplace Specialist I (WSI) licensure training program during the 2011-2012 academic year.