Alt-cert: what alternative?

Alternative certification has grown as a means of addressing teacher shortages, especially in specific content areas, yet the programs are controversial, fueling debates over rigor, subject expertise, and the bypassing of traditional colleges of education, reports Anya Kamenetz for NPR. One in five new teachers becomes so by means other than a four-year undergraduate program or master’s degree. Many are uncertified the first time they stand in front of students. Programs also vary widely in design. The National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) reviews teacher preparation around the country, and for the first time has undertaken a study of “alt-cert” programs. Focused on 85 of the “most” alternative programs — those not affiliated with an institution of higher education — the study based evaluations on criteria such as applicants’ GPA and degree of support in internships. Results were poor. Sixty-three of the 85 programs — 74 percent — got a “D” or “F,” with for-profit programs faring worst; only 41 percent of traditional programs scored this low. Yet it’s worth noting the NCTQ has been critical of traditional certification programs, too. “If traditional programs knocked it out of the park,” observes Sandi Jacobs of NCTQ, “there would be less need for alternative programs.” More

Source:  Public Education News Blast

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