Teach for America
Teach for America recruits college seniors and recent graduates
to commit to teaching for two years in low-income rural and urban
schools. The program allows students who did not major in education to
enter the classroom and offer their experience and expertise to students
across the country. To date, more than 12,000 outstanding graduates
have joined the Teach for America Corps.
A study by Mathematica Policy
Research, Inc. found that Teach for America teachers demonstrate ten
percent more progress in math than normal expectations, and slightly
more than normal progress for reading as well. Compared to certified
and veteran teachers, the Teach for America Corps make greater gains in
math and the same amount of gain in reading. These results were found
in the target environment for the Corps – high need and low income.
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Paul T. Decker, Daniel P. Mayer, Steven Glazerman, "The Effects of Teach For America on Students: Findings from a National Evaluation," Mathematica Policy Research, June 2004. |
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Tamar Lewin, “Top Graduates Line up to Teach to the Poor,” New York Times, October 2, 2005. |
New York City Teaching
Fellows
Mid career professionals
seeking to enter the teaching workforce are eligible to join the New
York City Teaching Fellows. After completing a rigorous application
process, teachers are trained, placed in city schools, and work to
complete a subsidized Masters degree. Each fellow is paid a salary and
benefits while teaching and will be able to utilize an extensive network
of professional support.
Washington DC Teaching
Fellows
The DC program also seeks
talented individuals from a variety of professional background to commit
to teaching in city schools. The program offers a fast track to
teaching and support from other professionals along the way.
National Center for
Alternative Certification
The National Center for
Alternative Certification provides information on the various
alternative routes to teacher certification in each state. The site
also includes research on alternative certification, information on
legislation and statistics, and other resources for potential teachers.
National Association for
Alternative Certification
The National Association for
Alternative Certification aims to expand options for alternative teacher
certification at the elementary and secondary level. Membership is open
to educators, researchers, agency staff, and anyone interested in the
goal of the Association. In addition to providing resources, the
Association holds conferences and publishes a newsletter.
Other websites of interest:
Empire State College,
Pathways to Teacher Certification:
http://www.esc.edu/esconline/aos/educationarea.nsf/wholeshortlinks2/Teacher+Certification+Pathways?opendocument
American Board for
Certification of Teacher Excellence:
http://www.abcte.org/
