NCREL Policy Issues
Issue 12, November 2002
The Impact of Alternative Certification in the Midwest
Alternative Certification in the NCREL Region
Impact of alternative certification on the region
The 1999/2000 Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS), conducted by the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics, received responses from over 72,000 teachers across the country. The SASS survey employed a complex, stratified sampling procedure that requires the use of statistical weighting but provides estimates of actual numbers of teachers in each state in various categories. Analysis of the SASS data set allowed us to estimate the number of teachers in each state in the region who obtained their certification through alternate routes. In addition, we were able to test the extent to which alternatively certified teachers differed from other teachers on several important issues.
| Figure 1 An Estimate of Alternatively Certified Teachers in the NCREL Region |
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| State | Estimated number of alternatively certified teachers | Approximate percentage of all teachers |
| Illinois | 4,192 | 3.0 % |
| Indiana | 1,403 | 2.5 % |
| Iowa | 927 | 2.8 % |
| Michigan | 1,979 | 2.6 % |
| Minnesota | 1,116 | 2.0 % |
| Ohio | 4,807 | 4.6 % |
| Wisconsin | 2,831 | 4.5 % |
Figure 1 presents estimates of the number of teachers in each of our seven states who obtained their initial certification through an alternative route, either before or after they began teaching. Since alternative programs in the region have only recently begun to produce alternatively certified teachers (as described in the next section), most of the teachers who reported receiving their certification through an alternative route must have done so in another state before moving to the NCREL region. These numbers are statistical estimates; the actual numbers may be several hundred more or less. Therefore, the results presented here should be viewed with caution.
Ohio and Illinois have the largest numbers of teachers who received their initial certifications through alternative routes. This is not surprising, given that these are the two most populous states in the region. It is somewhat surprising that Wisconsin has the third-highest number of alternatively certified teachers—more than Michigan, which has almost twice the population. This may indicate that the estimate for Wisconsin is slightly higher than the actual number, or that the estimate for Michigan is lower than actual. If we assume that these estimates are close to the actual numbers, it appears that alternative certification has had the greatest impact on states such as Ohio and Wisconsin, where alternatively certified teachers account for at least 4.5 percent of all teachers in the state.
These numbers indicate that even in states that have yet to offer alternative routes or that have only recently begun such programs, alternative certification has had an impact. While these initial percentages are relatively small, they remind us of how mobile our society is. These results also reveal the extent to which policy decisions in some states can affect other states that haven't necessarily chosen that particular policy direction.
In addition to using the 1999/2000 SASS data set to look at the number of alternatively certified teachers in each state, we were also able to compare alternatively certified teachers to other teachers on several variables related to their preparation and induction into teaching. While the practice of comparing alternatively certified teachers to traditionally prepared teachers was discouraged in the above critique of research, the comparisons made here are not related to teacher performance. Of particular interest were variables that asked teachers about how well prepared they were to handle a variety of standard classroom activities such as discipline, instruction, and lesson planning during their first year of teaching. We found no statistically significant difference between alternatively certified teachers' reports of their levels of preparation and the levels of preparation reported by other teachers. The implication is this: In general, first-year, alternatively certified teachers feel as prepared to teach as other first-year teachers.
We also examined the induction and mentoring experiences that teachers reported. Estimates from the SASS data set revealed that teachers who had not been alternatively certified were more likely to report that they had participated in an induction program during their first year of teaching (62 percent) than alternatively certified teachers (44 percent). However, from a statistical standpoint, these estimates did not differ significantly and, given a fairly large amount of variance, we are not able to conclude that alternatively certified teachers are less likely to participate in first-year induction programs than traditionally certified teachers.
Similar results were found regarding three other factors: the types of support first-year teachers received, whether or not the teachers had mentors during their first years, and the extent to which they felt the mentors were helpful. We found no statistically significant differences between alternatively certified and traditionally certified teachers on these variables. While these estimates must be viewed with caution, they suggest that alternatively certified teachers' experiences during their first year on the job are not dramatically different than those of traditionally prepared teachers.
| Figure 2 Alternative-Route Programs in the NCREL Region |
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| State | Number of legislated models | Number of college-based programs | Number of recent alternatively certified teachers |
| Illinois | 2 | 15 | 1998/1999-2000/2001: 290 |
| Indiana | 1 A "fast-track" program, not called alternative certification. Begins Fall 2002. |
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| Iowa | 1 A "teacher intern" program. Begins Fall 2002. Designed for high school teachers only. |
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| Michigan | 3 | 5 | 1999/2000 (first year): 40 |
| Minnesota | 1 | 1 | 1997/1998-1999/2000: 66 |
| Ohio | 4 | 0 Prospective candidates work with districts to determine individual plans. |
2000/2001 (first year): 34 |
| Wisconsin | 1 | 5 | 1997/1998: 19 (latest data available) |
| (Feistritzer & Chester, 2002; personal communication with Departments of Education staff in Indiana, Iowa, and Ohio) | |||
These findings are good news for supporters of the alternative certification approach. For example, if we had found that alternatively certified teachers were not reporting feeling prepared to teach, participating in induction programs, or receiving support during their first year, we would have to be concerned about the alternative method and focus policy discussions on approaches to addressing these issues. While these results are tentative and need to be replicated, they suggest that the experiences of first-year, alternatively certified teachers are roughly equivalent to those of other teachers in their first year in the classroom. Even though these comparisons were not about effectiveness, the important caveat here in regard to the issue raised during the above critique of research methods is that using traditionally prepared teachers as the comparison group may be problematic. Just because alternatively certified teachers did not differ significantly from other teachers does not mean that we can be confident in the quality of the alternative certification approach. It may be that the induction and mentoring provided to traditionally prepared teachers is insufficient; if that were true, the fact that alternatively certified teachers' experiences are similar is of no comfort. In the case of the SASS data set, there is no comparison group other than teachers prepared through traditional routes.
The SASS data set is a good example of the problems we have in conducting research on alternative approaches. First, the question on the SASS survey that asks teachers about their certification asks if they obtained it through traditional routes or through an "alternative program." Without a more specific definition, we cannot know if those who chose this response were certified through short, inadequate programs or received more thorough, intensive preparation. Second, the SASS data set allows us to make gross estimates, but caution is advisable in drawing firm conclusions.
Alternative certification programs
All seven states in the NCREL region (Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin) have some way to help individuals who have bachelor's degrees become teachers. Not all of these states have programs that are labeled "alternative certification." While they may not be labeled as such, they provide paths to becoming a teacher that are shorter than the traditional route.
As Figure 2 shows, most of the states in the region have only recently turned to alternative certification to increase the pool of teachers. Illinois has the largest number of college-based, alternative certification programs and has produced the most teachers through alternative routes, followed by Minnesota and Michigan. Only recently have Indiana and Iowa legislated pathways to teaching that do not require a bachelor's or master's degree in education; however, these states do not call their programs "alternative certification."
Survey of principals in the region
In order to obtain further information about the impact of alternative certification in the region, NCREL sent surveys to a random sample of 2,600 principals across the seven state region in the spring of 2002. We asked several basic questions about the number of alternatively certified teachers hired, their backgrounds, and their performance. We received responses from 1,019 principals, a return rate of about 39 percent. However, as with most surveys, not every respondent answered every question, so there are varying numbers of missing data across items.
While the overall return rate was fairly good, there were some problems with the extent to which our sample was representative of the region. The response rate from Wisconsin was extremely small; we discovered after the survey began that the list we had obtained of principals in that state was inaccurate. Also, the return rate for urban schools (13.1 percent) was much smaller than what we know the proportion of those schools to be—roughly 30 percent in the region. Because of these issues, we sent another round of surveys (800)—and a second round a few weeks later to nonrespondents—to a random sample of schools in major cities in the NCREL region (e.g., Chicago, Detroit) and schools in Wisconsin. This second round added another 91 surveys to our previous data set, for a total of 1,110 (32.6 percent response rate). While the second round served to increase the representativeness of the final sample, Figure 3 shows that schools in Wisconsin and in urban areas were still somewhat underrepresented.
| Figure 3 Survey of Principals in the NCREL Region |
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| Proportion of the sample by state | Proportion of the sample by community type | ||||
| State | Frequency | Percent | School type | Frequency | Percent |
| Illinois | 186 | 16.8 % | Urban | 170 | 15.3 % |
| Indiana | 136 | 12.3 % | Rural | 390 | 35.1 % |
| Iowa | 104 | 9.4 % | Suburban | 321 | 28.9 % |
| Michigan | 214 | 19.3 % | Small town | 210 | 18.9 % |
| Minnesota | 128 | 11.5 % | Missing | 19 | 1.7 % |
| Ohio | 269 | 24.2 % | Total | 1,110 | 100 % |
| Wisconsin | 69 | 6.2 % | |||
| Missing | 4 | 0.4 % | |||
| Total | 1,110 | 100 % | |||
About half of the responses came from elementary school principals, about one-fifth from middle or junior high schools, and slightly less than one-fifth from high schools. Smaller percentages of surveys were returned from "combination" schools such as K-8 or K-12 schools. Out of 1,110 responses, 140 principals (12.6 percent) reported that they had hired alternatively certified teachers in the last five years. Of this group, about one-third (33.6 percent) were high school principals and slightly less than one-third (29.3 percent) were elementary school principals.
We asked principals: "Have you hired any teachers in the last five years who obtained (or will obtain) their certification through an alternative route to a traditional college degree in education—alternative certification?" Again, we must mention the caveat that this question is admittedly broad and limits our ability to draw firm conclusions. Of the principals who reported they had hired alternatively certified teachers in the last five years, most were from Ohio (37, or 26.4 percent) and Michigan (29, or 20.7 percent). Given the stated problems with our urban sample, the fact that Illinois, the most populous state in the region, was fourth in the number of alternatively certified hires may be inaccurate. Most principals who reported hiring alternatively certified teachers responded that they had only hired one or two (84, or 60 percent), and about one-fourth (33) reported hiring three or four. Several respondents (17, or 12.1 percent) indicated that they had hired five or six alternatively certified teachers, and a few (6, or 2.1 percent) responded that they had hired more than six.
We asked several questions about the background of the teachers hired through alternative certification programs. One of the premises behind the alternative certification movement is that it can help increase the diversity of the teaching force in terms of race, gender, age, and real-world experience of new teachers. Overall, the principals we surveyed reported that they hired roughly equal numbers of male and female alternatively certified teachers. This supports the premise that alternative certification programs can increase the number of male teachers since the majority of teachers are women. Another assertion of alternative proponents is that these programs can bring in older people who have experience, are more stable, and are entering teaching because of a strong commitment to helping children. Our survey found that the vast majority of people hired through alternative programs are either in the 20-30 age bracket (42.6 percent) or the 30-40 age bracket (43.4 percent). Given that new college of education graduates are typically in their early 20s, these data suggest that alternative certification programs are bringing candidates with life experience into teaching.
In terms of racial diversity, the findings are not as promising. Only about 8 percent of the 129 principals who answered this question reported that their hiring of alternatively certified teachers had increased the percentage of African Americans on their staff, and 3 percent reported that alternatively certified hires had increased the percentage of Hispanic teachers in their school. Over three-fourths (76.7 percent) of the respondents reported that hiring alternatively certified teachers had not increased the percentage of teachers of color on their teaching staff. It is possible that in schools with large proportions of teachers of color, African Americans and Hispanics were hired, but that action did not affect the diversity of the teaching staff. However, given the previously stated underrepresentation of urban schools in our sample, we estimate the overall number of schools in the sample where the teaching staff is "majority minority" to be fairly low. These findings suggest that alternative certification has had little impact on the diversity of the teaching force in the Midwest. However, the extent to which alternative programs are able to recruit people of color depends largely on whether or not that goal is a priority for the program and specific objectives are in place regarding diversity. Our survey did not explore this issue in detail, so we are unable to draw firm conclusions. Other concerns, such as the proportion of African Americans and Latinos who hold bachelor's degrees relative to that of the general population, further cloud this.
We also asked the principals about the prior backgrounds of the alternatively certified teachers they had hired. Proponents argue that alternative programs can bring into teaching individuals who have had years of experience in subject matter such as math and science. A large portion of the principals in our sample (42.7 percent) reported that most of the alternatively certified teachers they had hired were from business and industry. Almost one-third (29.8 percent) reported that the alternatively certified teachers they hired were recent college graduates in fields other than education, and about one-fifth (18.5 percent) reported that their alternative hires were from within the field of education, such as former teachers or former support staff. Finally, 4.8 percent of the principals reported hiring former members of the military, and 4 percent reported hiring alternatively certified teachers that came from other areas. These findings provide some support for the idea that alternative programs can bring people from the business community into teaching.
Another basis for the growth of alternative programs has been their purported ability to address shortages in particular subject areas such as math, science, and special education. We asked the principals in our region about the subjects taught by the alternatively certified teachers they had hired. Of the 126 principals who responded to this item, seven reported that they had hired an alternatively certified teacher to teach math, and nine had hired one for science. Eighteen principals (14.3 percent) had hired alternatively certified teachers to teach special education. Almost half of the principals (61, or 48.4 percent) reported that they had hired alternatively certified teachers for more than one subject area (i.e., high school) or to teach multiple subjects (i.e., elementary school).
In order to obtain information about the quality of alternatively certified teachers while trying to avoid the previously mentioned problems with comparing them to other teachers, we decided to ask about the performance of alternatively certified teachers compared to other new hires. While this was an admittedly imperfect solution, at least it allowed the possibility that the other new hires had come out of programs that were moving toward or had become standards based.
About three-fourths of the principals (74 percent) rated the performance of their alternatively certified teachers as equal to or above other new hires, and 26 percent rated them as below. While it is encouraging that principals see such a large proportion of alternatively certified teachers as equal to or better than other new hires, the performance of a fairly large percentage was rated below that of other new hires. This suggests that alternative programs have yet to reach full parity with traditional teacher-preparation programs.
Just over 90 percent of the principals reported that the alternatively certified teachers they had hired received support or mentoring to facilitate their transitions into the classroom. While this finding is positive to the extent that the vast majority of alternatively certified teachers have received such support, it is somewhat troubling that another 10 percent did not receive such support. In addition, it is safe to assume that not all new alternatively certified teachers who were supported received similar or sufficient levels of support or mentoring. Given the typically short nature of alternative programs, and the emphasis on a speedy transition into the classroom, mentoring and support for these new teachers is crucial. Failure to provide such support can only exacerbate the problems that new alternatively certified teachers face as they attempt to learn their new occupation on the job.
Finally, we asked principals about the impact of alternative certification on the supply and longevity of teachers in their schools. Half the principals reported that they have had problems finding enough qualified teachers, and that alternatively certified teachers have been somewhat or very helpful in addressing the shortage. About one-fifth of the respondents reported that they have experienced a shortage but that alternative certification had not had a significant effect on the problem, and slightly more than one-fourth responded that they had not experienced any problems finding enough teachers. In terms of tenure, 81.5 percent of the principals reported that the alternatively certified teachers they had hired stayed as long or longer than other newly hired teachers. These results imply that alternatively certified teachers can be helpful in addressing shortages and remain on the job at rates roughly similar to those of other newly hired teachers.
