C. Emily Feistritzer and David T. Chester, National Center for Education Information
2002
Since 1983, Emily Feistritzer and the National Center for Education Information (NCEI) have tracked state efforts to create alternative certification programs for people interested in becoming teachers without having to go back to ed school. Since 1990, this tracking effort has included a periodic state-by-state guide to these programs. In all, 45 states now have some type of alternative certification program for teachers. The most striking bit of news in this year's volume is the degree to which they're converging on what an alternative teacher certification program looks like. In the past three years, 20 states have created some 34 new alternative teacher certification programs that share these features: 1) they are designed for candidates who already possess a bachelor's degree; 2) they include a rigorous screening process comprised of tests, interviews and content mastery; 3) they are field-based; 4) they include professional education training before and during teaching; 5) they provide mentors for all new teachers; and 6) they have high performance standards. Compared with the graduates of traditional programs, the "alternative" recruits are more likely to be minority group members or men. They also tend to teach high-demand subjects (like math and science) and to have higher retention rates despite being concentrated in more challenging locales like the inner cities or isolated rural areas. For prospective teachers, this guide includes contacts for and profiles of all alternative programs operating in every state. Policy wonks will be interested in the classification system NCEI developed to categorize the different types of programs states label as "alternative." Copies of the hefty 432-page report can be ordered for $99 plus $10 shipping and handling from NCEI at 4401-A Connecticut Ave, NW, PMB 212, Washington, DC 20008; phone 202-362-3444; fax 202-362-3493; http://www.ncei.com. It's worth overcoming the sticker shock to get your own copy of this valuable resource-people are always asking to borrow ours.
