Alternative teacher certification is a process by which a person is awarded a teaching
license
A license (American English) or licence (Commonwealth English) is an official permission or permit to do, use, or own something (as well as the document of that permission or permit).
A license is granted by a party (licensor) to another part ...
even though that person has not completed a traditional
teacher certification program. In the US, traditional teacher certification is earned through completing a bachelor's or master's degree in
education
Education is the transmission of knowledge and skills and the development of character traits. Formal education occurs within a structured institutional framework, such as public schools, following a curriculum. Non-formal education als ...
, taking standardized tests (usually a
Praxis test), and fulfilling additional state requirements. Alternatively certified teachers typically possess a bachelor's degree from an
accredited college
A college (Latin: ''collegium'') may be a tertiary educational institution (sometimes awarding degrees), part of a collegiate university, an institution offering vocational education, a further education institution, or a secondary sc ...
or
university
A university () is an educational institution, institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly ...
and are completing (or have completed) an alternative certification program while teaching full-time. Other state certification requirements, such as the type of education coursework or the length of practice teaching, may be modified or waived. In the
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
, alternative certification is offered in forty-eight states and the
District of Columbia
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and Federal district of the United States, federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from ...
. Program prerequisites vary by state, but if you have a bachelor's degree and are legally eligible to work in the US, you'll likely meet the minimum requirements!
Alternative certification programs first appeared in the 1980s. A decline in the number of students seeking a degree in education was creating a shortage of teachers in American
elementary and
high school
A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper secondary education'' (ages 14 to 18), i.e., ...
s. States began to search for a way to recruit and train people who had already earned a four-year degree and wanted to become teachers. While the requirements for an alternative certification vary from state to state, there are certain commonalities found in the programs. A prospective teacher is usually required to complete an accelerated university program, pass the state licensing test, and submit to a series of interviews. The prospective teacher must be able to demonstrate a mastery of educational methods, and participate in a mentor program with a teacher who has completed a traditional education degree.
See also
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Teach For America
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Academy for Urban School Leadership
AUSL (Academy for Urban School Leadership) is a Chicago nonprofit school management organization founded in 2001. Today, it manages 31 Chicago Public Schools serving more than 16,000 students. Over 1,045 teachers have graduated from the AUSL Chi ...
*
New Teacher Project
TNTP, formerly known as The New Teacher Project, is a U.S.-based organization with a focus on supporting under-privileged students from minority background having equal access to effective teachers. It helps urban school districts and states re ...
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American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence
The American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence, often referred to as the American Board, was launched with a $5 million federal grant from the U.S. Department of Education in 2001. The non-partisan, non-profit organization's mission i ...
(ABCTE)
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New York City Teaching Fellows
The NYC Teaching Fellows is an alternative certification program that focuses on education quality in New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip ...
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Mississippi Teacher Corps
The Mississippi Teacher Corps (MTC) is a two-year alternate route teaching program that recruits college graduates to teach in critical-need areas of Mississippi. As of May 2017, 569 participants have graduated from the program. Upon completion of ...
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Educators of Change
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Alternative Teacher Certification
Teaching