A Commentary On American Alternative Teacher Certification Programs

Alternative teacher certification program is an important reform in American education today. Alternative teacher certification program refers to creations of state licensing agencies that are alternatives to the traditional college, campus-based (usually undergraduate) teacher education program route culminating in a certificate (license) to teach. It may be generally defined as any significant departure from the traditional undergraduate route through teacher education programs in universities and colleges. The general phenomenon of teacher shortage is one of the targets that alternative certification programs designed to improve. The focus on improving the quality of the nation's teacher workforce and the need to recruit a more diverse pool of teachers are the catalysts for the implementation of alternative routes to teacher certification. There is growing dissatisfaction and impatience with traditional, university-based teacher education, which is also a reason of implementation of alternative routes. Alternative certification was once simply a way of dealing with shortages in key area, now, have evolved into a widely used model to recruit, train and certify new teachers. The fastest growth in alternative routes to teacher has occurred since 2000. Now, alternative certification programs have become approved nationally.Alternative teacher certification programs may be administered by different entities, state or some local institutes. Components of alternative programs include: recruitment and selection; coursework; teaching; assessment. There are many types of alternative teacher certification programs across the states. Based on a state-by-state analysis of alternative certification programs, NCEI classified them into 11 categories. There are various forms of alternative teacher certification programs at national, state and local levels. Common features of alternative programs are: varied sponsors; extensive candidates; definite purpose; flexible implementation; practical trainings. In order to recruit people who might not otherwise become certified, alternative certification programs must be attractive in ways that traditional certification programs are not. But the very incentives that were attractive to candidates in turn restricted the resources that were available and, thus, limited the extent to which quality control was possible. In order to operate programs successfully, program directors and faculty can draw upon fiscal resources, human resources, administrative process, support, and time. These elements of organizational capacity determine what the programs could do in preparing teachers. There are some levers of quality control that program directors could use. The five approaches to quality control include: selective admissions; adherence to state requirements; reliance on expert faculty; innovative approaches; and use of assessments. Since emerged in the 1980s, alternative certification programs have helped increase the supply of teachers and diversify the pool of new teachers. Alternative certification programs eliminate the virtual monopoly of teacher education held by colleges and help to realize the democracy of teacher preparation. But there are disadvantages in alternative certification programs, and the development of alternative routes to teacher certification is often portrayed as a move to eliminate the professional education of teachers. There are issues about the effect and the assumptions of alternative certification programs, which embody the conflict between professionalists and deregulators. The development of alternative certification programs in future will depend on whether programs can solve the problems lying ahead. As departure from the traditional teacher education programs, alternative certification programs make us think about our teacher education programs and can give us some messages.