Pathways into the Profession

Educators Rising is a community-based model, in which chapters at schools feed teacher preparation programs at institutes of higher education with the support of state departments of education and local funders and foundations. These entities come together to provide a clear pathway to increase teacher diversity and teacher quality.

This report shares examples from California of partners working together to bring local resources to their residencies to improve sustainability. The report sets the California context and briefly describes how securing funding for residencies can help to address teacher shortages, while increasing the diversity of the teaching workforce. The report also provides concrete strategies that programs can use to move toward long-term sustainable funding, with examples of how specific programs in California have successfully implemented select strategies.

Teach NOLA is an alternative preparation program in which teacher candidates receive rigorous coaching while completing preservice training and additional certification coursework during their first year in service.

The Oklahoma State Board of Education offers individuals who already hold a four-year degree a 150-hour alternative certificate program, known as "Boot Camp", to obtain a provisional certificate to teach in the area of mild to moderate or severe to profound disabilities. The program includes 120 hours of pedagogy training and culminates in 30 hours of field experience.

For individuals already employed in an approved special education setting, the Utah Special Education and Rehabilitation Department offers three alternative teacher preparation programs. The programs include courses required for licensure to work with students with mild or moderate and severe disabilities and with preschool children with disabilities in districts across the state.

Ohio's Intensive Pedagogical Training Institute (IPTI) creates an alternative route for certification for educators in Ohio by offering pedagogical content online modules for an Ohio Alternative Resident Educator License, providing instruction in topics related to student development and learning, formative and summative assessment processes, curriculum development, and classroom management.

The Go Teach program builds partnerships between university athletic and academic departments and provides the tools needed to recruit qualified student athletes into the teaching profession.

This pathway cultivates highly skilled educators by providing young people with dual enrollment credit, beginning and high school, and providing blended coursework focused on building understanding of diverse learners, extending through college and into the profession. 

This program supports prospective teachers by providing funding as well as academic and emotional support to individuals completing preparation programs in exchange for a commitment to teach in a high-needs school or high-needs position for at least 5 years.

Boston Teacher Residency is an AmeriCorps-supported program that combines a yearlong classroom apprenticeship with targeted master’s level coursework. The program includes co-teaching with collaborating teachers and experienced teacher educators, earning an MA Initial Teacher Licensure, and receiving a living stipend and health benefits.