Educating Preservice Teachers: The State of Affairs
Alternative Certification
Alternative certification is a fast and growing option for professionals and others interested in teaching to consider instead of the traditional four-year program. According to the U. S. Department of Education (2001), Secretary of Education Rod Paige announced that $5 million has been awarded over a two-year period to the National Council on Teacher Quality to establish the American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence (ABCTE).
In order to build highly qualified teachers to meet the needs of a growing student population, Secretary Paige postulates that ABCTE will need to "create a high standard of excellence for teachers from nontraditional backgrounds that will allow those teachers a high level of portability and credibility within the educational system" (U.S. Department of Education, 2001). To support this process, the National Council on Teacher Quality will "develop a system to recognize master teachers who demonstrate superior academic content knowledge and document improved student learning in their classrooms" (U.S. Department of Education, 2001).
ABCTE will put in place recruitment and assessment centers that will pool skilled professionals who have the interest and ability to become teachers, without the traditional preservice education. At the end of this two-year project, ABCTE will implement two levels of certification in teaching. The first level is the establishment of the Passport System for New Teachers. It will provide aspiring new teachers with a passport, useable anywhere in the nation, which will certify their mastery of particular subjects and professional skills. The second level of ABCTE's teacher certification is the establishment of the Master Teacher Certification, which will specify that teachers have documented that they have significantly increased student achievement. The certification also will show that teachers have exceptional proficiency within certain subjects, as well as a comprehensive understanding and a level of mastery concerning the basics of professional teaching skills. Secretary Paige stated, "We hope this initiative will encourage professionals from other careers and bright liberal arts students to enter the teaching field and stay there" (U.S. Department of Education, 2001).