Data Mining -> Staff Factors -> Traditional Teacher Training vs Alternative Teacher Training

What credential process produces better teachers: Traditional or Alternative?

Why is this question important? To fill a critical teacher shortage that began in the 1980’s, significant numbers of students are being taught by classroom teachers who obtain credentials through alternative credential models. No Child Left Behind has made it a goal to assure that all students be taught by teachers who are fully qualified. To meet this challenge schools will need to devote important resources to addressing this issue. Before these monies are spent, it is important that we know if reducing the ranks of the alternatively credentialed personnel is worth the investment.

See further discussion below.

Source:  An Evaluation of Teachers Trained Through Different Routes to Certification

Results:

1. There was no statistically significant difference in performance between students of alternative credential teachers and those of traditional credential teachers. Variation in student achievement was not strongly linked to the teachers’ chosen preparation route or to other measured teacher characteristics.
2. There is no evidence from this study that greater levels of teacher training coursework were associated with the effectiveness of AC teachers in the classroom.

Implications: There are three important conclusions to be derived from this study. 1. Any increased cost that may be incurred by requiring teachers to attend TC programs needs to be weighed in comparison to the fact that students are not likely to receive significant benefit from this approach as compared to AC programs. 2. Additional research needs to be conducted to establish a basis for establishing content of credential programs. We need to ask, are we providing teachers the appropriate content and are teachers mastering these skills in both TC and AC models and more importantly are these linked to student achievement? 3. Before investing significant resources into the fully credentialed requirements of No Child Left Behind it would be wise to assure this makes a difference in student achievement.

Authors: Jill Constantine, Daniel Player, Tim Silva, Kristin Hallgren, Mary Grider, John Deke

Publisher: National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education. - 2009

Study Description: The study took two years to complete. Schools could be included in the study only if they had at least one eligible AC and one eligible TC teacher in the same grade, in kindergarten through grade 5.  Within each school, students in the same grade were randomly assigned to either an AC teacher or a TC teacher.

1. Both the AC and the TC programs with teachers in the study were diverse in the total instruction they required for their candidates.
2. There were no statistically significant differences between the AC and TC teachers in their average scores on college entrance exams, the selectivity of the college that awarded their bachelor’s degree, or their level of educational attainment.

Definitions: Traditional Credential Program (TC): The teachers completes the credential program before beginning teaching. Alternative Credential Program (AC): The teacher begins teaching before receiving certification requirements.

Citation:
Constantine, J., Player D., Silva, T., Hallgren, K., Grider, M., and Deke, J. (2009). An Evaluation of Teachers Trained Through Different Routes to Certification, Final Report (NCEE 2009- 4043). Washington, DC: National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education.