Teacher certification/licensure requirements across the United States are in constant flux. Career and technical education (CTE), with its many subject disciplines, has historically had two pathways to certification/licensure: a traditional degree-based program of courses, field experiences, and exit exams, and an alternative pathway based…

Across America, school districts face a problem of numbers: too many students, too few educators. In some areas, the shortage of classroom teachers is approaching crisis proportions. One solution designed to address the recruitment side of the problem is found in the creation of Non-University Certification Programs (NUCPs). The designs and…

Teacher education has been subject to both scathing criticism and innumerable efforts designed to reform it or to save it from being dismantled. One of the latest and most well funded efforts aimed at teacher education reform is boldly titled Teachers for a New Era (TNE). Eleven colleges and universities of various types nationwide were selected…

Research indicates that an increasing demand for teacher accountability and student achievement is at the forefront with the mandate of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001. These challenges will be crucial in urban and rural schools where the need for classroom teachers in critical teaching areas such as bilingual education, special…

The progress of the first cohort of an innovatory "flexible" postgraduate initial teacher training programme in the North-West of England was tracked over a two-year period. The programme itself was introduced by the British government at a time of teacher shortage, and was designed to attract people into teaching from other careers. Its…

Community colleges across the nation are responding to the growing need for teachers in high need areas by expanding their role in teacher preparation. Blinn College, a junior college in Brehnam, Texas, began offering an alternative certification program for individuals interested in teaching 8th-12th grade mathematics. A thorough review of…

Examines the impact of teacher recruitment approaches via university-based and alternative certification programs. Asserts that traditional and alternative certification efforts are by themselves limited in their potential to address the problem of teacher shortages in urban schools. Suggests that an organizational view of schools, which looks…

Documents many inaccuracies in the Abell Foundation report on teacher certification and describes the actual findings of many of the studies the Foundation's report purports to review. Presents data challenging the Abell Foundation claim that uncertified teachers are as effective as certified teachers. (SLD)

Studied the distribution of emergency permit teachers in California, finding that in 2000-2001, 34% of all first-year teachers in California held emergency permits. Discusses initiatives that might decrease the need for emergency permit teachers and ensure that those who are hired receive the support they need to become credentialed teachers. (SLD)

Reviews research comparing teaching performance of certified and uncertified teachers. Concludes that certified teachers perform better in the classroom than do uncertified teachers. Furthermore, teachers completing many alternative-teacher-certification programs may not perform any better than uncertified teachers. Empirical study finds that…

Discusses two separate studies showing that New Jersey's alternative route to teacher certification taxes schools' resources while failing to provide adequate teacher training. Although Texas schools have acknowledged that their program drains their resources and have cut back on the number of teachers trained in alternative routes, New Jersey…

Alternative certification programs are designed to allow individuals with significant subject-matter background to complete their teacher preparation education while teaching full time in a participating school district. Although these teachers tend to be highly committed, there are concerns about their effectiveness. (JOW)

Responses from 36 state technology education supervisors showed that all have unfilled positions; 94% said university programs were unable to meet the demand for technology teachers; 95% have or are considering alternative certification 71% felt alternatively certified teachers were adequately prepared; and only 48% felt alternative certification…

Having been raised by liberal parents who had emphasized friendship and respect between people of all races, the author had often felt the desire to be a part of the continuing movement toward true equality. She viewed education as the key to reaching socioeconomic and political freedom, and she wanted to be a part of promoting that ultimate tool…

This document reports on the findings of an NSF-funded conference (STEM ACT) on the alternative certification of science teachers. The conference explored the issues that have arisen in science education as a result of the proliferation of alternative certification programs in the United States, and to identify the research that needs to be done…