In the United States, people often feel like they need to choose between pursuing a conventional four-year college degree or working, leaving millions of people with no opportunity to achieve the professional and economic advancement that comes with a bachelor's degree. What if this is a false choice? Apprenticeship Degrees offer a hybrid option…

The U.S. Department of Labor approved the first nationally registered K-12 teacher apprenticeship program in January 2022, opening the door to a rapidly growing pathway for prospective teachers. By October 2022, Texas had an approved program, and the Department of Labor has now approved registered teacher apprenticeships in more than 30 states.…

Teacher residency programs have emerged as an alternative teacher preparation program that prepares teacher candidates; also known as residents, for high-need areas such as special education in the United States of America. The purpose of this study was to conduct a systematic review of the literature on teacher residency programs in the United…

The California Teacher Residency Grant Program provided essential, one-time funding to jump-start new and to expand existing teacher residencies, which are pathways into the teaching profession that integrate a residents' coursework with a yearlong placement in the classroom of an expert teacher. In spring of 2021, WestEd collected data through…

With fewer individuals entering the education profession, particularly via traditional routes, and increased attrition, the educator workforce has declined. In response, states, districts, and educator preparation programs (EPPs) are leveraging alternative pathways to establish a pipeline of teachers to fill the nation's classrooms. One such…

The number and availability of service-contingent loan forgiveness and loan repayment programs have expanded considerably since the establishment of the first major federal loan forgiveness program under the National Defense Education Act of 1958. This report provides information on federally authorized service-contingent student loan forgiveness…

For many non-traditional candidates, the path into teaching is riddled with bumps and detours. They must pay for increasingly expensive coursework and certification costs, attend classes that conflict with work schedules, and forgo wages to complete unfunded student teaching requirements. These roadblocks can deter valuable local…

Individuals who want to earn a doctoral degree aim to change or develop their careers. Some potential doctoral students have a clear goal to pursue a doctoral degree, some are uncertain if they can manage the rigor associated with a doctorate program, and others might have already been involved in their program. This article aims to provide…

Paraeducators are considered to be a promising pool of future teachers who can help schools address the issues of teacher shortages, attrition and diversification. Paraeducators, known to be highly motivated and familiar with classroom environments, typically have work experience in fields where teacher shortages exist such as bilingual and…

A strategy for addressing persistent teacher shortages is to increase the number of viable teacher candidates enrolling in quality preparation programs from which candidates graduate ready for the classroom on day one. This research report, utilizing data collected through a review of the relevant literature and interviews with a convenience…

The past two decades have seen the rise of the residency model, another nontraditional pathway to certification that offers an intensive, practice-based, context-specific preparation designed to address shortages in hard-to-staff districts. Although advocates call the model innovative, research examining residencies at scale warrants skepticism…

The State of West Virginia is adopting the teacher residency model as the primary pathway to teacher certification in the state. By the fall of 2024, all educator preparation programs (EPPs) in the state must implement the West Virginia Residency Model (WVRM) for earning certification in all undergraduate licensure areas. However, implementing the…

With significant state investment, teacher residencies are spreading throughout California. These vignettes highlight two California teacher residencies and how they are helping to address shortages and support both students and teachers. These examples also spotlight creative funding strategies that can help California's investments in teacher…

This article takes a multi-case perspective on teacher preparation at new graduate schools of education (nGSEs) across four sites. The article argues that teacher preparation at nGSEs is a study in contrasts. On one hand, nGSE leaders frame teacher preparation at their institutions in terms of the marked contrasts they perceive between their…

Environmental education (EE) is vital in addressing global environmental problems. Educational institutions are integrating EE into their curricula, but studies indicated the need for its intensification. This mixed method study assessed the integration of EE in Teacher Education Programs (TEPs) in Region III, Philippines. Respondents were 10…