Issues for Practitioners Morton M. Sternheim UMass Amherst mort@umassk12.net STEM Alternative Certification.
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Issues for PractitionersMorton M. Sternheim
UMass Amherstmort@umassk12.netwww.stemtec.org/act
STEM Alternative Certification
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Report Authors
Barbara Austin, Northern Arizona University
Wendy Frazier, George Mason University
Anita Greenwood, UMass Lowell
Judith Hayes, Wichita State University
Charmaine Hickey, UMass Lowell
Kathy Shea, UMass Lowell
Morton Sternheim, UMass Amherst
Yijie Zhao, UMass Amherst
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What is alternative certification?
Programs to put “career changers” in classrooms quickly?
Anything other than 4 year undergrad program? Antoinette Mitchell (NCATE): These programs
range from 5th year programs for students without education backgrounds, to programs especially designed for career-switchers, to programs designed for specific sectors of the community such as military personnel and para-professionals.
Need a continuum of teacher preparation and support programs to support varied needs.
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Program Standards
National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) holds alternative certification programs to the same standards required of all programs in NCATE-accredited institutions as a way of making institutions accountable for the quality of their programs and for the quality of the educators they prepare.
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Alternative Certification Candidates
• There’s been a dramatic shift in the profile of people studying to be teachers through alternative routes.
• A greater percentage of older, life-experienced people wanting to enter the teacher profession when compared with traditional preparation models.
Judith Hayes, Wichita:
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Alternative Certification Candidates
• More of these mid-career switchers are male and/or are minorities interested in teaching in high-demand areas, in positions generally not sought by young, white females coming out of traditional schools of education.
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Partnerships
Research indicates that teacher candidates working in alternative licensure programs with strong district – university partnerships perform better and stay in the profession longer.
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Partners
Primary partners• Hiring school districts, state licensing
authority, higher ed institution
Other partners – funding/recruiting • Corporations, e.g., Raytheon Teaching Fellows
Program• Federal agencies: NSF (Noyce Scholars), DOE,
…• Troops to Teachers, Teach for America, …
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Recruiting and Selecting Candidates
Depend on nature of the program Selecting and recruiting the right candidates for
admission to a particular program is important for the program’s success, because “investing resources in candidates unlikely to succeed is a lose-lose situation.”
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Selection
Usually require at least bachelor’s degree Screening process – tests, interviews, evidence of
content mastery, short demonstration lesson Often highly selective Some programs are committed to serving all
provisionally certified teachers in an area. Humphrey et al: most alternative certification
programs bet on education background, work experience, previous classroom experience, or some combination of the three
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Recruiting
Many approaches, reflecting the programs Texas A&M: scholarships, job fares, recruiting in
grad programs UT: All students in the College of Natural
Sciences are recruited. They receive a letter about it upon admission, hear about it during orientation, receive mailings each year. Student group presentations, media reports …
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Recruiting
Teach for America: Representatives visit many campuses, focus on selective colleges, accept only a small fraction of applicants
NYC Teaching Fellows program targets mid-career professionals as well as recent college graduates
Troops to Teachers program provides information and support to retiring military personnel, with offices in 32 states
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Candidates
Four groups of candidates1. Undergrads where there in no traditional certification
option2. Recent grads who opt to teach3. Career switchers or retired military4. Teachers who need courses to become “highly
qualified” in another subject
These groups have different needs Must match candidates and structure of the
program
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Need: Practical Teaching Knowledge
All need practical knowledge about navigating the current school environment: information about legal and ethical responsibilities, teaching to diverse populations, inclusion issues, and classroom management
Less important for group 4, those already teaching
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Need: Pedagogical Content Knowledge
Teachers not only need to understand science but teach in a manner that is consistent with what is known about how people learn science, and reflects significant insights from recent educational research
Discipline specific pedagogy issues – how to teach difficult concepts in a particular subject
Laboratory safety knowledge – chemicals, biomaterials, etc. – is critical if teachers will be willing to do hands-on science
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Need: Content Knowledge
Federal law mandates that teachers must have sufficient content knowledge as the major provision of being “highly qualified”
Mainly a need for group 4, teachers who need courses to become highly qualified
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Needs: Income, Non-traditional Delivery
Career changers and recent grads often need income during their training
Stipends, scholarships Non-traditional course delivery
• Summer immersion before placement• Subsequent summer courses• Evenings• Distance learning
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Mentoring
Mentoring support provided to AC teacher candidates while they are in training
Key part of new teacher induction• Research: good induction programs cut attrition
Should reflect lack of education courses Mentors involved in AC programs need different
training from those in traditional certification programs so that they can address the subject specific needs of these individuals
When there is consistency between mentor and mentee in the conception of the mentor’s role, the mentoring relationship is productive
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The Challenge
Teaching and teacher education are inherently complex and are not reducible to simple prescriptions for practice.
Much of what is believed to be associated with program excellence with regard to particular goals cannot currently be supported with empirical evidence
Ken Zeichner, WisconsinKen Zeichner, Wisconsin::
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Oversimplified Views of Excellence (Zeichner)
Attempting to connect the surface features of teacher education programs (e.g., their length) to various teacher and student outcomes without accounting for the characteristics that candidates bring to their preparation.
Attempting to define the characteristics of good teacher education programs by the mere presence or absence of certain program elements without addressing how these elements are defined and used and for what purposes
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Characteristics of Effective STEM ACT Programs
Needs-based design of the program • Tailored to needs of district or region• Tailored to needs of participants, backgrounds, etc.
High entrance standards• Screening, appropriate STEM backgrounds
Intensive training focusing on professional expertise• Subject content, pedagogical knowledge and skill
training• Pedagogical content knowledge • Multicultural and special education issues
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Characteristics of Effective STEM ACT Programs
On-site support during training• Comprehensive system of support from experienced,
trained mentors once the candidate begins working in a school.
• Candidates go through their training in cohorts at school so they have peer support
• Candidates have the opportunity of guided practice in lesson planning and teaching prior to taking full responsibility as a teacher
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Characteristics of Effective STEM ACT Programs
Frequent program evaluation • Continuous monitoring, evaluation, and feedback of
individual and group performance to allow for program adjustment
• Candidates receive frequent evaluation of their teaching from well-trained mentors and faculty with strong STEM education backgrounds
• Faculty receives continual formal and informal evaluation of their instruction from the teacher candidates
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Characteristics of Effective STEM ACT Programs
High exit standards• Standards tied to state standards for teaching• Candidates demonstrate that they have mastered the
knowledge, skills, and dispositions identified in state standards and can have a positive impact on student learning
Ongoing support of graduates after the program.• Structured, well-supervised induction period when the
novice receives observation and assistance in the classroom by an experienced teacher
• Ongoing professional development and reflection is supported by the school and/or the university through seminars, workshops, courses
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School – College Collaboration
Colleges, schools and the candidates have constant communication to ensure that teaching theory and practice are effectively integrated to address classroom and pedagogical issues.
School districts provide the teacher candidates in alternative certification programs with a supportive school environment to help them with effective transition to teaching.
The program prepares individuals for specific positions in specific schools, and should place participants in those positions early in the training.
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Effective STEM ACT Programs: Summary
• A program encompassing all these components may be an ideal, but these benchmarks provide a frame of reference for an effective AC program.
• These components are not an oversimplified checklist to measure the program quality. Rather, they serve as research directions for an in depth inquiry into the implementation and efficacy of these elements in achieving excellence in AC teacher preparation.
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