The Case for a Third Alternative

Abstract

Today, the nation is facing an unprecedented teacher shortage, which will undoubtedly result in increased attention to alternative certification programs as a possible means of addressing the schoolstaffing crisis. For the past decade, much has centered on the tensions between school, college, and department of education (SCDE) programs and alternative programs, and the relative merits and drawbacks of two delivery systems-one in which candidates complete initial certification prior to employment and one that provides training to candidates while they are employed as full-time teachers. The authors advocate a third alternative for midcareer teacher candidates, one that encompasses the strengths and minimizes the weaknesses of the two predominant delivery systems currently available. This alternative is the comprehensive, accelerated, customer-oriented teacher preparation program, coupled with an intensive induction support system. The authors describe one such program and discuss the compelling reasons for SCDEs nationwide to consider moving in this direction.

Availability of Special Education Teachers

“…Nationally, data from the 1987-1988and 1990-1991Boe, Cook, Bobbit, & Weber, 1996) and the 1990-1991and 1991-1992, indicate that retention rates of special education teachers in specific assignments from year to year were substantially lower than those of general education teachers, and attrition rates for special education teachers were 13%, versus 9% for general education teachers . According to a 13-year longitudinal study intended to examine special educators' careers, new teachers of students with disabilities are most likely to leave early in their careers and "young teachers are nearly twice as likely as mature teachers to leave" (Singer, 1993a, p. 268; see also Huling, Resta, & Rainwater, 2001).…”

“…In general, it is estimated that 30% of teachers leave the profession during their first 2 years in the classroom (Darling-Hammond, 1997;Perez, Swain, & Hartsough, 1997). In Texas, for instance, 43% of the teachers who began teaching in the fall of 1996 had left their teaching careers by the fall of 1999 (Huling et al, 2001). To overcome the current and forecasted shortage problems, states will have to find alternative ways to hire qualified teachers.…”

Teacher Preparation for Profit or Prestige

“…The practical difference between traditional and alternative pathways is the timing of preparation, which occurs concurrent with undergraduate studies in the traditional model and during the first year of teaching in the alternative model (Henry, Bastian, et al, 2014). However, theoretical frameworks for comparing traditional and alternative pathways focus on more subtle differences in the resulting instructional philosophy of preparation programs (Huling, Resta, & Rainwater, 2001). A dichotomy is presented in the literature in which traditional programs believe future teachers should study theories of child development and pedagogy and engage in theory-driven research, whereas alternative programs believe teacher trainees should engage in on-the-job training in which they can apply content knowledge gained through their prior education (Darling-Hammond, 1990, 2010; Kennedy, 1991; Walsh, 2001).…”

The Supply of and Demand for Special Education Teachers

“…By 2001, 45 states and the District of Columbia reported having some form of alternative programs (Feistritzer, 2001). Although there is evidence that as many as 27% of newly certified teachers in one state are graduates of these programs (Huling, Resta, & Rainwater, 2001), most evidence points to small but growing numbers of graduates of alternative programs nationally. For example, approximately 5% of teachers receiving certificates in California and 15% in Texas were recent graduates of alternative programs (Huling et al, 2001).…”

“…Although there is evidence that as many as 27% of newly certified teachers in one state are graduates of these programs (Huling, Resta, & Rainwater, 2001), most evidence points to small but growing numbers of graduates of alternative programs nationally. For example, approximately 5% of teachers receiving certificates in California and 15% in Texas were recent graduates of alternative programs (Huling et al, 2001). Feistritzer estimated that more than 150,000 persons have been certified through alternative programs over the last 20 years.…”