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Policy Briefs

"Alternative Certification Policy Brief" by Marga Mickulecky.
The limited amount of research on whether alternative certification programs are equal, better or worse than traditional programs is inconclusive. What does seem apparent, however, is that alternative certification programs have the ability to recruit and deliver more minority, male and older teachers into urban and rural areas. With federal programs providing increasing support and oversight, and organizations such as NCATE accrediting community college programs, alternative certification programs are not only evolving, but also gaining wider acceptance.
> http://www.ecs.org/clearinghouse/57/12/5712.pdf

"Alternative Certification: A National Perspective" by Charles R. Coble.
This slide show examines the state of alternative licensure routes in light of the call for quality teachers and projected teacher shortages. It discusses how alternative licensure should be defined and what alternative routes are likely to produce successful teachers.
> Alternative Certification: A National Perspective" - PowerPoint (620K)

"Alternative Certification: Design for a National Study" by Daniel C. Humphrey, Marjorie Wechsler, Kristin Bosetti, Andrew Wayne, and Nancy Adelman, available from SRI, International.
This is the design for a national study to identify the characteristics of effective alternative certification programs. It includes a useful literature review of alternative certification research and definitions of alternative certification.
> http://www.sri.com/policy/cep/teachers/altcert.pdf

"Alternative Teacher Education: Trends and Implications in Policies and Practice" Prepared for the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) by Robert Reichardt, Mid-Continent Research for Education and Learni ng (McREL).
This report examines who enters alternative certification programs, the types of alternative certification programs in use, and outputs from alternative certification such as retention and teacher quality.
> http://www.wiche.edu/Policy/TeacherEd/EducationalAccountabilityTrendsImplications.pdf

"Alternative Teacher Education: A Review of Selected Literature" Prepared for the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) by Linda Brannan and Robert Reichardt, Mid-Continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL).
A review of the literature on alternative teacher certification with sections on the characteristics of candidates entering the programs, the components of the al ternative programs, and the outcomes for those candidates from alternative certification routes.
> http://www.wiche.edu/Policy/TeacherEd/EducationalAccountabilityLitReview.pdf

"State Alternative Route Programs", Education Week, Quality Counts 2003
This chart from Education Week shows information about alternative teacher certification in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. (requires free registration to view)
> http://www.edweek.org/sreports/qc03/reports/17altern-t1.cfm

"Ensuring Quality Teachers Through Alternative Certification Programs"by Carol Ruckel.
This policy brief from Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL) looks at quality issues raised by alternative certification routes and gives guidelines for alternative certification policy.
> http://www.mcrel.org/PDF/PolicyBriefs/5003PI_PBAltCertification.pdf