Alternative Licensure

The alternative license or teaching certificate is a way for persons to earn a teaching credential without completing a traditional state-approved teacher licensure program. Each state has the responsibility to license teachers in that state, and every state, as well as the District of Columbia, has an alternative license program, although the requirements vary from state to state. Whereas the recruitment and training differ from state to state, there are some common requirements for persons seeking the alternative license, such as possessing an undergraduate degree, successfully completing a number of education credit hours, and passing state tests.

The traditional state-approved teacher licensure programs commonly include studying the science of teaching, studying specific content knowledge, and completing a clinical or student teaching experience. Often these traditional state-approved programs are completed along with an undergraduate degree.

In the 1980s there was a shortage of persons seeking teacher licensure through traditional programs, resulting in the creation of the alternative license programs. Over time, the number of teachers licensed through an alternative license program has increased considerably. This increase resulted in the availability of teachers in the high-needs areas of special education, mathematics, science, and foreign language and also the availability of highly qualified teachers to meet the No Child Left Behind requirements.

The alternative license programs were seen as a way for persons already working and having experience in schools to obtain a teaching license without the large expense of tuition and the several years in a college classroom. They were also seen as a way to expand the number of minority teachers and as a way for school districts that traditionally had a difficult time attracting motivated teachers to hire better teachers.

It was thought that teachers earning credentials through an alternative license program would have a more realistic knowledge of what to expect in schools than young teachers just earning their undergraduate degrees. These alternative licensed teachers would have more confidence in front of the classroom due to their strong subject knowledge, and they would be more likely to remain in the teaching profession than would the typical undergraduate who may not have a firm commitment to teaching.

There are several types of alternative license programs. For example, in one type the person holding the alternative license works under a mentor teacher and takes education courses at a college or university while in the classroom. In another type of program, the person holding the alternative license works in a program developed by the state or local education agency and may or may not be required to take additional education courses. In yet another program, the university or college is responsible for the design and development of the program. Some examples of alternative licensure programs are Teach For America, Troops to Teachers, Transition to Teaching, and the New Teachers Project. Teach For America is the name of a group of recent college graduates who commit to teach for 2 years in high-needs urban and rural areas. They earn their credentials through state-approved alternative certification programs, and they have to meet specific requirements as well as display expertise in the grades and subject areas they will teach. Troops to Teachers is a program for military personnel through the U.S. Department of Education and Department of Defense that supports eligible military personnel to begin a new career as teachers. The program participants can either earn their teaching credentials through traditional licensing programs or through an alternative licensure program. Transition to Teaching is a program designed to recruit and retain teachers in high-need schools and includes training teachers through an alternative program. The New Teacher Project is a pre-service training institute and is based on the alternate route to licensure.

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