Alternative Certification

Alternative Certification Programs: A Multi-site Case Study

The Project on the Next Generation of Teachers
Harvard Graduate School of Education
Susan Moore Johnson, Principal Investigator
Heather Peske & Sarah Birkeland, Co-Investigators

The number of alternative teacher certification programs is growing rapidly in response to a current teacher shortage in certain districts and subjects. The proliferation of such programs has prompted intense debate about the benefits and costs of alternative certification and its effect on teacher quality. This debate has obscured the variety and complexity of alternative certification programs; they exist in a range of circumstances, with various designs, under many arrangements, and with varying capacity and results. For this cross–site analysis, we are examining a carefully selected set of programs—all called alternative certification, but very different in design. This research will substantially inform the current debate about teacher quality, policies that establish these programs, and decisions that people in the field make day to day.

We are conducting a multi-year, field-based study of how sponsors of alternative certification programs approach the task of preparing quality teachers, and seek to establish partnerships and develop capacity to do so. Our sample represents thirteen programs in four states, each representing a variety of models, including, for example, a state-sponsored program with satellite sites; a district or district consortium-sponsored program; and a program managed by a university and involving partnerships with districts. The research questions for this study include:

1. How do these alternative certification programs interpret the task of preparing well-qualified teachers, and how is that interpretation reflected in their design and activities?
2. What are the incentives that attract candidates to these programs in lieu of traditional teacher education programs?
3. In what ways, and with what success, do these programs assemble resources to provide pre-service preparation and in-service support for participants?
4. What are the advantages and disadvantages of various partnership arrangements in supporting the effective preparation and induction of these teachers?

This study is funded by the William and Flora Hewlett foundation. Data collection methods will include document review, site visits and observation, as well as interviews with program directors, faculty and participants. Data analysis and writing will take place in 2003-04. We will disseminate findings at conferences and through published articles written for academics and practitioners.

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Last modified: May 06, 2005