Dive Brief:
- A new National Council on Teacher Quality pilot study finds that alternative-certification programs for teachers have similar problems to those found in traditional university programs.
- The study looked at 85 alternative programs, which it reports lacked adequate selectivity, verification that applicants were proficient, and classroom supervision of new teachers.
- Teach For America Massachusetts was the only program examined to receive an "A" grade, and Education Week reports that scores were mostly "abysmal," with those in Texas receiving a considerable amount of heat.
Dive Insight:
The findings are part of the NCTQ's second-annual teacher-preparation program review, released Tuesday. The inclusion of alternative-certification programs is new to the 2014 edition. An easily searchable database of traditional university teacher-prep program rankings can be found at U.S. News.
As Education Week reports, the latest NCTQ report comes as state and federal officials prepare new teacher-prep policies and the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation develops tougher standards that take effect in 2016.
