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Unfortunately, most of the research conducted about the relationship between teacher certification and student performance has been inconclusive and, therefore, it is more difficult to cite statistics to prove one side or the other in this debate.

A relaxation in teacher certification laws could allow these professionals to enter the education sector more quickly.

In the coming years, more and more teachers are planning on retiring and there will be a large deficit in the number of available teachers. Offering alternative routes to teacher certification (such as Teach for America) could encourage more people to pursue a career in education and fill this deficit.

What officially began in the early 1980s as ways to ward off projected shortages of teachers, alternative routes to teacher certification have become major players in the production of highly qualified teachers.

Clearly, alternative routes to teaching are bringing non-traditional populations of people into the teaching profession who want to help young people develop and teach where the demands for teachers are greatest.

Few innovations in American education have spawned more controversy and debate than the alternative teacher certification movement, and few have ultimately resulted in more positive changes.

Alternative routes to teacher certification are state-defined routes through which an individual who already has at least a bachelor’s degree can obtain certification to teach without necessarily having to go back to college and complete a college, campus-based teacher education program.

One-third of current state alternative routes to teacher certification have been created since 2000. More than half of them have been established in the last 15 years.

Applicant must complete six semester hours (or the equivalent) of professional education coursework within the past five years with a GPA of 2.5, and from a college or university approved to prepare teachers, as follows: three hours in teaching methods, including field experience, and three hours in developmental characteristics of adolescent youths;

License (two-year non-renewable) is issued on verification of employment by superintendent of school district; Employing school district agrees to provide a structured mentoring program.

Applicant must complete two years of teaching under the alternative license;

Alternative certification programs started in the mid-1980s to respond to the teacher shortage.

Participants identified five primary areas of concern. Participants commonly felt that they were not adequately prepared to teach the subject for which they were seeking licensure. Participants did not feel that they understood how to teach low-income students of color, who were commonly the students they encountered in their first teaching jobs. Clinical experiences typically involved teaching in a summer school setting. Participants found it difficult to find teaching experiences that were subject-appropriate and mentors who were willing and able to guide them. Statewide programs had the most trouble securing timely jobs for participants due to their lack of partnerships with local school districts. Participants were particularly disappointed about this, as they often viewed the prospect of a secured job as an incentive of their chosen program. Many participants felt they did not receive strong follow-up support on the job, from their fellow teachers and principal.

Meanwhile, both the percentage and number of American college graduates obtaining education degrees has dropped considerably over the last 35 years and Arizona's three public universities are not projected to produce enough teaching candidates to fill the increasing state need

Arizona's students deserve quality public schools with knowledgeable, well-prepared teacher

Research shows that teacher quality is the single most important school-related variable affecting student achievement.

The program enables individuals to begin teaching while continuing to work toward the requirements of the provisional educator license, which is the standard license in Ohio.

If you are applying for licensure in social studies, integrated language arts or integrated science, you will need to have 60 credit hours of coursework in the content area. In some cases, work experience may substitute for courses.

This instruction must include supervised field experience

Has not completed an approved educator preparation program with student teaching.

Candidates must be employed full-time and teach a minimum of 51 percent in the approved content area