Certification Pathway Research Articles

National Estimates and Comparisons of Alternatively and Traditionally Certified Music Teachers in the United States

The purpose of this study was to construct a descriptive and comparative profile of alternatively and traditionally certified music teachers in the United States. Using data from the 2017–2018 National Teacher and Principal Survey, I estimate the prevalence of alternative certification in music, and compare the demographics, credentials, preservice preparation, and inservice experiences of alternatively versus traditionally certified music educators. Results show that rates of alternative certification were uniquely low among public-school music teachers (9%) relative to other arts teachers (22%) and teachers outside the arts (19%). Alternatively certified music teachers (ACMTs) were more racially diverse and likelier to serve in schools with higher shares of racial and ethnic minorities than their traditionally certified counterparts. However, ACMTs’ preservice preparation (e.g., coursework, student teaching) was considerably narrower, and they had higher rates of nonstandard (temporary or emergency) licensure. Certification pathway was not associated with teachers’ inservice professional development experiences or job satisfaction.

Challenges of employing unformalized skills: Recognizing and leveraging informal expertise for national development in Tanzania

This paper explores the challenges and implications of informal skills acquisition in Tanzania and its impact on national development. Through two case studies—one focusing on a driving class and the other on an electrical technician—it highlights the tension between formal certification and practical experience. The findings reveal that informal skilled laborers, while highly proficient, face significant barriers to employment, market competition, and project tendering due to the absence of formal recognition and certification. Despite their lack of formal qualifications, these workers contribute meaningfully to their families, communities, and the national economy. The study underscores the critical gap in valuing informal expertise relative to formal qualifications, and it advocates for the re-evaluation of the certification system to better recognize and leverage informal skills. The paper argues that integrating informal skills into the formal economy is crucial for inclusive national development. It calls for a Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) system to validate experiential learning and create alternative, affordable certification pathways. This approach would not only level the playing field for informal workers but also enhance their ability to compete in national projects alongside formally educated professionals. By acknowledging and supporting informal expertise, Tanzania can build a more robust, versatile workforce that is better equipped to meet the demands of various industries, ultimately driving sustainable national development.

Measuring the value of teachers from traditional certification pathways in Texas: A comprehensive study

While teacher preparation in the United States continues a long period of decline, the largest-producing state, Texas, is experiencing substantial changes in how it prepares teachers. The number of teachers prepared by traditional university pathways continues to decline, and the number from alternative pathways is rising. Using extensive data from Texas, we find that traditionally prepared teachers from universities obtain significantly higher student learning gains than alternatives. We use value-added models to estimate changes in student test scores in many grade levels and test subjects as a function of teacher preparation pathway. We compare all Traditional programs to all Alternative programs, and we compare all For-Profit programs to all Not for-Profit programs. For most subjects and grade levels, students learn significantly more from Traditional or Not for-Profit program teachers: 0.02 to 0.05 in standard deviation units. There is not one significant estimate in any model where students learn more from Alternative and For-Profit programs teachers than they do from Traditional and Not For-Profit program teachers.

Fellows of the American Medical Informatics Association (FAMIA): Looking Back and Looking Ahead.

Over the past 30 years, the American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA) has played a pivotal role in fostering a collaborative community for professionals in biomedical and health informatics. As an interdisciplinary association, AMIA brings together individuals with clinical, research, and computer expertise and emphasizes the use of data to enhance biomedical research and clinical work. The need for a recognition program within AMIA, acknowledging applied informatics skills by members, led to the establishment of the Fellows of AMIA (FAMIA) Recognition Program in 2018. To outline the evolution of the FAMIA program and shed light on its origins, development, and impact. This report explores factors that led to the establishment of FAMIA, considerations affecting its development, and the objectives FAMIA seeks to achieve within the broader context of AMIA. The development of FAMIA is examined through a historical lens, encompassing key milestones, discussions, and decisions that shaped the program. Insights into the formation of FAMIA were gathered through discussions within AMIA membership and leadership, including proposals, board-level discussions, and the involvement of key stakeholders. Additionally, the report outlines criteria for FAMIA eligibility and the pathways available for recognition, namely the Certification Pathway and the Long-Term Experience Pathway. The FAMIA program has inducted five classes, totaling 602 fellows. An overview of disciplines, roles, and application pathways for FAMIA members is provided. A comparative analysis with other fellow recognition programs in related fields showcases the unique features and contributions of FAMIA in acknowledging applied informatics. Now in its sixth year, FAMIA acknowledges the growing influence of applied informatics within health information professionals, recognizing individuals with experience, training, and a commitment to the highest level of applied informatics and the science associated with it.

Racialized teacher tracking: the systematic exclusion of black teachers from advanced-level coursework

ABSTRACT This study systematically investigates the relationship between race/ethnicity and assignment patterns to Advanced Placement (AP) courses by exploring notions of racialized teacher tracking. Administrative data are used to examine AP course assignment in Texas high schools between 2012–2019. Findings show consistent disparities in the likelihood of Black teachers being assigned an AP course, even when controlling for teachers’ graduate degrees, certification pathways, and career levels. Alongside interrelated micro and macro-level institutional factors influencing teacher assignment, findings demonstrate that race/ethnicity structures Black teachers’ access to school resources and shapes perceptions of their legitimacy and status.

The Effects of Intervention Coursework on Science Achievement

Background or Context: With the implementation of three-dimensional science and high stakes testing, policymakers have bolstered science curriculum to include standards that engage students in scientific discourse while providing the needed guidelines for teaching science content. However, the field of science education has not been a policy focus to provide needed supports for struggling students to attain mastery of standards. This oversight leaves an evident gap in educational equity, because it fails to address challenges faced by students who may not meet science proficiency. Purpose, Objective, Research Question, or Focus of Study: This study examines the association between a student’s enrollment in an intervention course and science outcomes. This is measured by achievement testing, describing student enrollment in an intervention course for both general intervention coursework and science-specific intervention coursework. The analysis further describes the teacher certification area for intervention courses to determine if certification impacts student achievement. Research Design: First, descriptive statistics were employed to better understand student characteristics of those enrolled in science intervention courses. Then, propensity score matching was used to match students through nearest neighbor matching based on covariates association with struggling learners. Additionally, teachers who teach intervention courses (general and science-specific) were examined by demographics and teacher certification pathway to determine if an association exists between certification pathway and student outcomes. Conclusions or Recommendations: Findings suggest that most students enrolled in a science-specific intervention course were not identified as a special education student. Those students enrolled in a science-specific intervention course had greater science outcomes than those students enrolled in a general intervention course. Additionally, teacher preparation pathway is important to consider during staffing initiatives because traditional certified teachers associate with higher student outcomes in science intervention courses, though more science intervention courses are taught by alternatively certified teachers.

Do Traditionally Certified Teachers Really Have Better Curriculum Leadership Than Alternatively Certified Teachers? Based on an Empirical Study in China

With the gradual improvement of open teacher selection mechanisms, the comparison of traditionally and alternatively certified teachers has become one of the international focuses in teacher research. Current studies have compared teachers of different certification pathways from multidimensional perspectives; however, no study has yet compared the differences in curriculum leadership between the two types of teachers. Teacher curriculum leadership is the ability of teachers to collaborate with stakeholders in the curriculum area to promote curriculum optimization and the development of students and teachers, and it includes three dimensions: teachers’ curriculum leadership views, practices and identity. This study conducted a comparative analysis of the curriculum leadership of traditionally and alternatively certified teachers based on data from 9,068 teachers of 20 provinces in China. Independent samples t-test and multiple linear regression analysis revealed no significant differences between traditionally and alternatively certified teachers on the overall level of curriculum leadership and the three sub-dimensions of curriculum leadership views, practices, and identity. Theoretically, it provides new evidence for the debate about whether there are differences between the two types of teachers by further corroborating the conclusion that there is no significant difference in the educational effectiveness of traditionally and alternatively certified teachers. Practically, it justifies the rationality of an open teacher selection mechanism and points the way to further reforms in university teacher education.

The Role and Professional Standards of the Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner in Hospice and Palliative Care.

The adult/gerontology (gero) nurse practitioner (NP) delivers primary and/or specialty palliative care to persons and their families who live each day with a myriad of serious illnesses. In this role, the adult/gero NP uses their skill set to address the whole person (physical, psychological, social, and spiritual/existential) to improve the quality of life for persons they care for. This article is the fourth in a series of 6 highlighting the different roles of the adult/gero NP and the advanced certified hospice and palliative registered nurse, and how these 2 roles overlap. The purpose of this article was to provide details of education and certification pathways for these NP roles, describe the overlaps in clinical care, and illustrate how the adult/gero NP in palliative and hospice care can contribute to leadership in program development for care of persons and their families who live with serious illness.

Plastic Surgery or Facial Plastic Surgery: Can the Public Tell the Difference?

Social media and online advertising are increasingly used by plastic surgeons (PSs) to educate patients and obtain referrals, but it remains unclear whether the general public can distinguish the difference in training and accreditation among medical professionals advertising online. Our study elucidates the public's expectations regarding the distinction between plastic surgery and facial plastic surgery. A survey was distributed via MTurk, an Amazon surveying service, to collect information about demographics and assumptions that would be made solely based on the terminology "facial PS" (FPS) and "PS." Participants were restricted to those residing in the United States. A total of 253 responses were collected. Based on the term FPS, respondents on average moderately to strongly agreed that they would expect an FPS to have completed a plastic and reconstructive surgery residency program (mean = 1.81; scale from 1= strongly agree to 5= strongly disagree) and would feel moderately to strongly misled if they visited an FPS for a consultation and later learned that the provider did not complete a plastic and reconstructive surgery residency (mean = 3.62; scale from 1 = not misled at all to 5 = extremely misled). Despite increasing advocacy by professional societies and the member societies of the American Board of Medical Specialties, this study demonstrated that the lay public is unaware of factually different training and certification pathways given similarity in nomenclature. This study was notably not designed to draw conclusions or imply superiority of one specialty, certifying board, or training model over the other.

Does science teacher certification matter? A closer look at first‐year science teacher impacts on student outcomes in Texas

AbstractThis study examines the certification pathway of science teachers in Texas, how science teacher certification patterns have changed over time, and the association of certification pathway to student outcomes in science. This quantitative study uses administrative data from the Texas Statewide Longitudinal Data System (UH‐ERC). The UH‐ERC database includes data from the Texas Education Agency (TEA), The Higher Education Coordinating Boards (THECB), and the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) which can be linked together to provide a cradle‐to‐workforce portrait of Texas residents. Cohorts were created of novice teachers to isolate teacher preparation rather than professional development associated with years of experience. Results indicated that teachers new to the labour market are increasingly being certified through alternative pathways, particularly in districts closer to metropolitan areas. Findings suggest that students who are taught by teachers who were prepared through an alternative pathway have lower test scores on the biology end‐of‐course State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR) test than students who were taught by teachers prepared through a traditional certification pathway.

UK and Ireland Joint Advisory Group (JAG) consensus statements for training and certification in diagnostic endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)

Background and aimsInternational endoscopy societies vary in their approach for credentialing individuals in endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) to enable independent practice; however, there is no consensus in this or its implementation....

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.

Establishing a Roadmap for Acute Stroke Care in the Caribbean Region: The Mission Thrombectomy 2020+ Caribbean Experience (P6-9.003)

Establishing a Roadmap for Acute Stroke Care in the Caribbean Region: The Mission Thrombectomy 2020+ Caribbean Experience (P6-9.003)

People with dry age‐related macular degeneration; views on certification of vision impairment in a primary care setting: An explorative qualitative study

Evidence supports the clinical decision-making ability of primary care optometrists with additional qualifications in the identification of eligibility criteria for the certification of vision impairment (CVI). Welsh Government policy is driving pathway change to enable these optometrists to perform CVI. This qualitative study explores the views of people with VI due to dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD) on this pathway change. Nine people with VI due to dry AMD, attending Macular Society support groups, participated. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted and analysed concurrently using thematic analysis. Five major themes were identified: (1) living with dry AMD, (2) experience of eye care provision, (3) knowledge of CVI, (4) provision of information and (5) CVI in primary care. Participants consistently highlighted the need for the provision of accessible information regarding the certification pathway, dry AMD and the optometrist's role in the provision of eye health care. Information needs to be available prior to the diagnosis of an eye disease, rather than only from the point of diagnosis or where the vision reaches the level required for certification. The findings support the provision of CVI within primary eye care while highlighting areas of importance in pathway development. These include the provision of accessible information prior to, at the point of and following the diagnosis of an eye condition. Information provided needs to extend to the awareness of the role of the optometrist in the provision of eye care, and public health awareness of modifiable risk factors, which will influence the possibility of disease development in later life. The findings provide information that will be useful to those responsible for the provision of CVI within primary care.

Certification of Visual Impairment due to Diabetic Eye Disease in Northern Ireland From 2014 to 2019

Purpose: To determine the number of people being certified as either severely sight impaired or sight impaired due to diabetic eye disease (DED) in Northern Ireland (NI). Methods: Sight impairment data have been collected for the 6-year period of 2014–2019, these data included age, gender, certification status, visual acuity, and type of eye disease. All data were entered into an Excel database and analyzed using Stata to ascertain the number of total certifications and diabetic eye disease certifications per year. Results: The number of total certifications in NI increased year on year as has the number of diabetic eye disease certifications. The number of diabetic eye disease certifications rose from 12.6 per million in 2014 to 17.4 per million in 2019, with a peak of 27 per million in 2018. There were more males than females registered due to diabetic eye disease. Diabetic eye disease's proportional representation of total certifications of visual impairment remained relatively stable during the 6-year period. Conclusions: In the 6-year period, the overall number of certifications has increased from 2014 to 2019, as have the number of certifications due to DED. This may be attributed to the improvement of certification and diabetic eye care pathways. People with diabetes who are certified are more likely to be younger and male. More research with medical data needs to be conducted in the future.

Response to How Teacher Education Matters

This response to “How Teacher Education Matters” (2000) notes that the evidence base about the features of teacher education that matter for teacher effectiveness was substantial at that time and has grown stronger since. However, federal policy over the last two decades has reduced support for both preservice teacher education programs and for candidates’ financial assistance, while increasing support for alternative certification pathways that generally omit student teaching and often truncate coursework as well. One-third of teachers in recent years have entered without having completed preparation and are disproportionately assigned to schools serving low-income students and students of color. Meanwhile, recent research emphasizes the critical importance of well-designed clinical experiences with strong mentoring in high-quality settings, connected to applied coursework, as key to effectiveness. Residency programs are one emerging model that combines such experiences with financial supports, showing promise for recruiting and retaining a diverse, well-prepared set of candidates in high need fields and locations. High-performing countries like Finland and Singapore make these kinds of investments in teacher education routinely and shed light on the policy strategies needed to create a universally strong teacher education system.

A half‐century check‐up for child neurology training

A half‐century check‐up for child neurology training

Pathways to Teacher STEM Certification in Texas: A Case for Addressing the Minority Teacher Shortage

For the United States to remain globally competitive, policymakers, researchers, and administrators emphasize the need for a highly skilled and diverse STEM workforce. As such, the US education system must recruit high-quality, diverse, STEM-certified teachers to improve STEM learning outcomes and career pathways for all students, including historically underrepresented minority students. Increased recruitment and retention of minoritized STEM teachers through alternative certification pathways will dissipate the shortage of qualified STEM teachers. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine trends in STEM teacher certification by race or ethnicity to address minoritized teacher shortages in Texas, the second largest education authority in the US. The study analyzed 67,629 teacher certification records from the Texas Education Agency’s State Board for Educator Certification. Results revealed disparities in Race or Ethnicity among STEM teachers that could dispel the teacher shortage gap if parity were achieved among White, Hispanic, and Black STEM teachers.

A cross-sectional survey on the lung ultrasound training and practice of respiratory therapists in mainland China

PurposeThis national study aimed to investigate the lung ultrasound (LUS) training and practice of respiratory therapists (RTs) in mainland China.MethodsA cross-sectional multicenter survey was conducted from May 22, 2021 to August 12, 2021, through online platforms. This survey included RTs in mainland China. The survey was divided into four sections: (1) demographic characteristics and basic information; (2) basic information about LUS training and practice; (3) LUS practice details; and (4) Other ultrasound training and practice.ResultsA total of 514 responses were received, and 494 valid responses were included in the analysis. 81.2% (401/494) participants’ highest degree of education was a bachelor’s degree, and 43.1% (213/494) participants were at level II in terms of job ranking. 99.2%(490/494) participants agreed that the RTs needed to learn lung ultrasound, but only 12.3% (61/494) participants had received a LUS training course. Further, 66.2% (327/494) experienced participants responded to Sect. 3. Most of RTs used LUS when the patient had hypoxia (265/327, 81%) or dyspnea (260/317, 79.5%); they also used it during spontaneous breathing trial(SBT) (191/327, 58.4%) or in prone position (177/327, 54.1%). The A-line (302/327, 92.4%), B-line (299/327, 91.4%), lung slide (263/327, 80.4%), and bat sign (259/327, 79.2%) were well known as LUS signs. Also, 30.6% (100/327) participants did not use the LUS protocol in their clinical practice, and only 25.4%(83/327) participants said they had used LUS scores. Moreover, 55.7% (182/327) participants frequently changed the respiratory therapy strategy according to LUS results.ConclusionsWe should improve the number and workplace of RTs in mainland China in the future. We should also standardize the application of LUS practice and training for RTs in mainland China and establish corresponding certification pathways.

Creation of a novel course for the advanced emergency medicine ultrasound focused practice designation examination.

The American Board of Emergency Medicine recently established a new certification pathway in advanced emergency medicine ultrasound (AEMUS). Eligible applicants come from a wide range of experience but must pass the same examination to become certified. This study sought to evaluate a novel review course targeting a wide range of learners for a new examination. This was a cross-sectional study evaluating the outcomes of the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) AEMUS review course. The program evaluation survey was designed to collect outcomes across multiple Kirkpatrick levels, including overall satisfaction, topic-specific satisfaction, topic-specific coverage, topic-specific confidence before and after the course, topic-specific perceived knowledge before and after the course, and changes in practice. Seventy-four of 79 participants (93.7%) completed the survey. Mean course satisfaction was 4.59/5.00 (95% CI 4.47-4.72). Confidence to pass examination components increased for the following topics: administration, advanced left ventricle (LV), education, head and neck, hepatobiliary, male genitourinary, musculoskeletal, nonobstetric gynecology, pediatrics, physics, procedures, research, right ventricle, and venous/arterial. Perceived knowledge increased for the following topics: administration, advanced LV, education, head and neck, male genitourinary, musculoskeletal, pediatrics, physics, procedures, renal/bladder, research, right ventricle, and venous/arterial. Fifty-three of 74 participants (71.6%) stated they would change their practice based on the course. Examples of changes in practice include increased use of ultrasound for advanced abdominal, musculoskeletal, pediatric, and procedural applications. Future work will determine the impact on longer-term outcomes and focused practice designation (FPD) examination pass rates. The ACEP AEMUS FPD review course demonstrated high levels of satisfaction, increased participant confidence, increased perceived knowledge, and several self-reported changes in participants' ultrasound practice.