35. Alternative certification demands minimum standards

The Association of Teacher Educators (ATE) is committed to excellence in teacher education. To respond to the very diverse practices existing in the states that allow alternative teacher certification (АТС) programs ATE recommends these guidelines:

1) Each graduate in а АТС program should have completed college courses which lead to a command of major concepts in written and oral communication, math, social science, physical science, humanities (including the arts and literature) and non-western contemporary culture.

2) State exams in basic skills required of students in regular teacher education programs should be required of АТС candidates.

3) АТС candidates should pass personal interviews assessing orientation to the nature of teaching, the nature of students and goals of school.

4) Candidate selection must include analysis of career and work histories, type and nature of previous careers, performance in former jobs, periods of employment (and unemployment), hospitalization, etc.

5) Selection should follow direct experiences with children and youth. This requirement can be met with a summer of paid work before employment. This enables some candidates to opt out or be selected out.

6) When possible, prior, direct experiences with children and youth should be in the same school building where candidates will begin as intern teachers.

7) АТС candidates should be paid for the direct, supervised experiences with state or district funds provided for them to be paid the same as beginning АТС teachers. A paid experience will be a recruiting mechanism.

8) Experienced teachers should serve as mentors, support teachers and coaches of АТС candidates throughout the first year at a ratio of 2 candidates to 1 teacher. In the years 2 and 3 the ratio might become 8 to 1. At least 20% of the experienced teachers' assigned load should be allocated to the mentor role. Mentors should be paid extra, based on a number of candidates supervised. A minimum of 500 dollars is recommended for each first year АТС candidate with whom a mentor works.

9) Mentors should receive special training in coaching and advising АТС candidates. Training might be offered by university personnel, consultants, highly-qualified classroom teachers, etc.

10) АТС candidates should not be required to take more than one three-credit course or more than 45 hours of instruction per semester – from any source – during their first year of teaching.

11) In the first semester of their first year, АТС candidates should be assigned less than a full teaching load. .

12) States should issue a temporary alternative certificate to individuals participating in these programs. There need to be official recognition of the status of АТС candidates.

Before achieving regular certification, АТС teachers should have to pass all state-mandated tests related to professional content and pedagogy required of individuals completing teacher education programs in universities.

АТС programs as represented here are more costly than regular programs. They should be offered to recruit new, talented personnel into teaching, not to save money.

Assignment:

Read the text and render it in Russian.