The purpose of this article is to examine the proliferation of alternative certification pathways through an analysis of the role and history of teacher certification and supply followed by a synthesis of national, regional, and state research studies on alternative routes to certification programs and a review of studies conducted on well-known national teacher training programs. Conclusions of the alternative certification pathway research are outlined.
AdelmanN. E. (1986). An exploratory study of teacher alternative certification and retraining programs. Washington, DC: Policy Studies Associates (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED277692)
BlissT. (1990, Spring). Alternative certification in Connecticut: Reshaping the profession. Peabody Journal of Education, 67, 35-54. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/pss/1492800
ChinE.YoungJ.FloydB. (2004, February9). Placing beginning teachers in hard-to-staff schools: Dilemmas posed by alternative certification programs. Paper presented at the American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education.
9.
Cochran-SmithM.ZeichnerK., & American Educational Research Association. (2005). Studying teacher education: The report of the AERA panel on research and teacher education. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
10.
ConantJ. B. (1963). The education of American teachers. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
11.
CornettL. M. (Spring, 1990). Alternative certification: State policies in the SREB states. Peabody Journal of Education, 67(3), 55-83. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/1492801
12.
Darling-HammondL. (1999). The case for university-based teacher education. In RothR. A. (Ed.), The role of the university in the preparation of teachers (pp. 13-30). Philadelphia, PA: Falmer Press.
13.
Darling-HammondL.BransfordJ. (2005). Preparing teachers for a changing world: What teachers should learn and be able to do. San Francisco, CA: John Wiley.
14.
Darling-HammondL.HoltzmanD. J.GatlinS. J.HeiligJ. V. (2005, October12). Does teacher preparation matter? Evidence about teacher certification, Teach for America, and teacher effectiveness. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 13(42), 1-51. Retrieved from http://epaa.asu.edu/epaa/v13n42/
15.
DentonJ. J.PetersW. H. (1988, September27). Program assessment report curriculum evaluation of a nontraditional program for certifying teachers. College Station: Texas A&M University. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED300361)
16.
EubanksS. C.WeaverR. (1999). Excellence through diversity: Connecting the teacher quality and teacher diversity agendas. Journal of Negro Education, 68, 451-459.
FeistritzerC. E. (2005b, September). State policy trends for alternative routes to teacher certification: A moving target. Paper presented at the Conferenceon Alternative Certification: A Forum for Highlighting Rigorous Research, Washington, DC. Retrieved from http://www.teach-now.org/CEFState%20Overview%20FINAL4.pdf
HirschE.KoppichJ. E.KnappM. S. (2001, February). Revisiting what states are doing to improve the quality of teaching: An update on patterns and trends (Working Paper No. W-01-1). Seattle: University of Washington: Center for the Study of Teaching and Policy.
23.
Holmes Group. (1986). Tomorrow’s teachers: A report of the Holmes Group. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED270454)
24.
IngersollR. M. (1999). The problem of under qualified teachers in American secondary schools. Educational Researcher, 28(2), 26-37.
JohnsonJ. A.MusialD.HallG. E.GollnickD. M.DupuisV. L. (2008). Foundations of American education: Perspectives on education in a changing world (14th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education.
28.
KauchakD.EggenP. (2008). Introduction to teaching: Becoming a professional (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.
29.
KlagholzL. (2000). Growing better teachers in the garden state. New Jersey’s “alternative route” to teacher certification. Washington, DC: Thomas B. Fordham Foundation. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED439135)
30.
LeglerR. (2002, November). The impact of alternative certification in the Midwest: Policy issues (Report No. NCREL-12) Naperville, IL: North Central Regional Educational Laboratory. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED475775)
McDermottK. A. (2005). In mint condition? The politics of alternative certification and pay incentives for teachers in Massachusetts. Educational Policy, 19(1), 44-62. doi:10.1177/089590480501900506
National Center for Education Information. (2007a). Overview of alternative routes to teacher certification. Retrieved from http://www.teach-now.org/overview.cfm
36.
National Center for Education Information. (2007b). Alternative teacher certification: A state by state analysis. Retrieved from http://www.teach-now.org/overview.cfm
National Center for Education Statistics. (2009). Enrollment trends in public and private elementary and secondary schools. Retrieved from http://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=65
39.
National Center for Education Statistics. (n.d.). National Center for Education Statistics: About us. Retrieved from http://nces.ed.gov/about/
National Research Council. (2001). Testing teacher candidates: The role of licensure tests in improving teacher quality. Washington DC: National Academies Press.
42.
NollJ. W. (2008). Taking side: Clashing views on educational issues (14th ed.). Dubuque, IA: McGraw-Hill.
43.
SadkerM. P.SadkerD. M. (2005). Teachers, schools, and society (7th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
44.
ShenJ. (1997). Has the alternative certification policy materialized its promise? A comparison between traditionally and alternatively certified teachers in public schools. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 19, 276-283. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. EJ554781)
45.
ShieldsP. M.EschC. E.HumphreyD. C.WechslerM. E.Chang-RossC. M.GallagherH. A.. . .WoodworthK. R. (2003). The status of the teaching profession 2003. Santa Cruz, CA: The Center for the Future of Teaching and Learning.
46.
SloaneP. D.CohenL. W.KonradT. R.WilliamsC. S.SchumacherJ. G.ZimmermanS. (2008, September2). Physician interest in volunteer service during retirement. Annals of Internal Medicine, 149, 317-323. Retrieved from http://www.annals.org/content/149/5/317.full.pdf
TatelE. S. (1999, Winter). Teaching under-resourced schools: The Teach for America example. Theory into Practice, 38(1), 37-45. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/1477206
What Works Clearinghouse. (2008). WWC quick review of the report “Making a difference? The effects of Teach for America in high school.”Princeton, NJ: Author. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED502028)
56.
WilsonS. M.FlodenR. (2003). Creating effective teachers: Concise answers for hard questions (An addendum to the report “Teacher Preparation Research: Current Knowledge, Gaps, and Recommendations”). New York, NY: Education Commission of the States, American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, ERIC Clearinghouse on Teaching and Teacher Education. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED476366)
57.
WilsonS. M.FlodenR.Ferrini-MundyJ. (2001, February). Teacher preparation research: Current knowledge, gaps, and recommendations (A research report prepared for the U.S. Department of Education [Document R-01-3]). Seattle: Center for the Study of Teaching and Policy, University of Washington.