A formal induction and mentoring (I&M) program is critical for supporting and developing novice teachers as they enter the K-12 classroom and has been found to improve teacher retention, teaching practice, and student outcomes. Districts across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts are required to offer induction and mentoring programming to their…

Funding the important work of teachers can be supported through a variety of federal programs, private foundations, and state legislative appropriations. This guide identifies potential funding that can be leveraged by state education agencies (SEAs), local education agencies (LEAs), and educator preparation providers to address teacher…

Programs that prepare elementary teachers have a daunting responsibility -- they are readying the people who will teach children reading and numeracy, build a foundation in STEM and social studies subjects, all while providing many children's first introduction to formal schooling. By rising to this challenge, programs may also help a more diverse…

The Teacher Education Accreditation Council (TEAC), founded in 1997, is dedicated to improving academic degree and certificate programs for professional educators--those who teach and lead in schools, pre-K through grade 12, and to assuring the public of their quality. TEAC accredits undergraduate and graduate programs, including alternate route…

This guide describes the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) certification process. There are eight chapters in three sections. Section 1, "Getting Ready," includes (1) "Introduction"; (2) "Materials and Strategies" (downloading materials, developing a schedule, survival strategies, and changes…

Describes the controversial movement toward voluntary teacher certification through the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. An examination of existing certification and review mechanisms does not support the board's view that performance assessment surpasses traditional testing. The article discusses implications for school health…

Suggests a model for assessing student teachers based on dimensions of military leadership. The article recommends modifying nine military competencies for assessing leadership behavior: communication, supervision, teaching and counseling, team teaching development, organization and management proficiency, decision making, planning, management…

Alternative teacher certification programs allow school districts, accredited independent schools, boards of cooperative services, and institutions of higher education to develop and implement school-based preparation for teachers. This handbook is designed to assist individual organizations and groups to develop alternate teacher certification…

These regulations outline specific licensure requirements for individuals seeking additional endorsements (teaching areas or other school personnel positions), licensure outside of a state-approved program, or licensure through alternate routes. The regulations do not affect individuals completing a Virginia approved program for initial licensure;…

This article highlights current thinking and practice regarding the use of student portfolios to document performance of authentic teaching tasks in undergraduate special education teacher education programs. It describes ways to use portfolios for student and program assessment and includes suggestions for overcoming the subjectivity associated…

School districts faced with a teacher shortage should consider joining forces with a nearby college of education in an alternative teacher education program. Alternative programs give people who already hold a college degree the opportunity to earn a teaching certificate. Explains how alternative certification works and offers six questions to…

This monograph is designed assist to teacher preparation institutions that want to use standards of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) to help teachers prepare for their National Board Certification process and simultaneously improve their advanced programs for teachers. Part 1, "Rationale for Using NBPTS Standards as a…

Nine articles by California educators are included in this guidebook for the planning and implementation of beginning teacher support programs, with a focus on improving teacher quality and retention. An explicit relationship between the conceptual framework and the operational program increases the effectiveness of such programs. Chapters titles…

This book makes a case for the value of National Board Certification (NBC), describing the components of the process. It emphasizes the importance of working in groups so that group members can provide multiple interpretations of student work or videos in ways that enrich a candidate's analysis as well as the group's learning. It also suggests…

This document presents information on the Alternate Route to Certification (ARC) program, which prepares talented people from outside of education to enter teaching. It has been offered since 1988 by the Connecticut Department of Higher Education. ARC prepares aspiring teachers by: providing intensive non-credit preparation in teaching methods and…