Alternative Certification Program for School Districts in West Virginia
West Virginia Association of School Human Resource Officials discussed the implementation of Alternative Certification (AC) programs for school districts facing critical teacher shortages. The process involves applying for an Alternative Teaching Certificate, commitment to program requirements, and progression towards a Professional Teaching Certificate. Approved AC programs provide a pathway for non-certified individuals to become qualified educators.
Download Presentation
Please find below an Image/Link to download the presentation.
The content on the website is provided AS IS for your information and personal use only. It may not be sold, licensed, or shared on other websites without obtaining consent from the author. Download presentation by click this link. If you encounter any issues during the download, it is possible that the publisher has removed the file from their server.
E N D
Presentation Transcript
WV Association of School Human Resource Officials 2016 Annual Fall Conference Waterfront Hotel Conference Center Morgantown, WV Robert Mellace & Linda Bragg Office of Educator Effectiveness & Licensure West Virginia Department of Education October 19, 2016
Alternative Certification May be considered as an option if-- Area of critical need and shortage: School district has posted a position at least twice (total of 10 days) and no certified applicants have applied for the position The school district has a WVBE approved Alternative Certification (AC) Program School districts are identified as the program provider School districts will implement the program according to their approved program
Implementation of the Approved AC Program Endorsements that the district may recommend Recruitment efforts & conversations about employment including transparency of the AC process Eligibility & qualifications Enrollment in program of study & induction into the classroom Program of study: calendar of events Support, observations & evaluations Partner roles and responsibilities for the above components Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about Alternative Certification **Approved AC programs contain details of the AC program components
Alternative Certification Process 1. The selected candidate and school district apply to WVDE for an Alternative Teaching Certificate - Form 25. Successful applicants have achieved an approved background check. Qualifying applicants receive an Alternative Teaching Certificate andenroll into the school district s state-approved alternative certification program. Candidates enter the classroom. 2.
The applicant fills in this section to: 1. Commit to complete all AC program requirements 2. Verify understanding that they must make satisfactory progress to retain the Alternative Teaching Certificate until they qualify for an initial Professional Teaching Certificate
Projected enrollment date must match the projected employment date Approved AC program name Note: If requesting an endorsement for grades 5-9, the candidate must be eligible to pursue a second endorsement Requested endorsement(s) & grade levels must be listed in the approved AC program.
All Applicants General Education Applicants Only (General Education and Special Education) Note: Deaf and Hard of Hearing endorsement presently requires academic or occupational qualifications because there is no WVBE- required Praxis exam
Activity Imagine the AC Process with a Candidate Where a Critical Shortage Area Has Been Determined In all scenarios, the applicant is at least 18 years of age and is determined to be of good character. The position referenced has been posted for the required period of time and no fully certified teacher has applied. Use Form 25 You may also refer to the West Virginia Licensure Testing Directory or the FAQ Document **Analyzation process for each scenario (and answers to the questions) can be found in the notes section of each slide.
Scenario # 1 Vandalia County s Special Education AC program is approved for Multi-categorical K-6 & 5-Adult; Autism K-6 & 5-Adult Jimmy Doe has a bachelor s degree in communications from an accredited institution with a 3.0 GPA. Jimmy has little documented occupational experience. He is a US Citizen and has applied for an 8th grade multi-categorical special education position in his WV hometown. He has not taken any Praxis exams, but presents a composite ACT score of 26. During his interview, he presented himself in a manner that interviewers indicated may predict competency and potential success in the public school classroom (5-Adult). Does Jimmy qualify to apply for an Alternative Teaching Certificate? Explain why he does or why he does not.
Scenario # 2 Vandalia County s AC program is approved for Physics 9-AD, Mathematics 5-AD and English 5-9. Johnny Doe has been substitute teaching for 139 days as a long-term substitute in a 9th grade mathematics classroom in Vandalia County, WV and has applied for the position. No math-certified teacher has applied. Johnny has a bachelor s of regents degree (academic major) and 2.5 overall cumulative GPA. His minor is in mathematics, and he previously worked in retail management. He is a US Citizen. He has passed the following Praxis Exams: # 5712 - Reading, # 5722 - Writing and # 5169 Middle School Mathematics. Does Johnny qualify for an Alternative Teaching Certificate? Explain why he does or why he does not?
Scenario # 3 Vandalia County s AC program is approved for Physics 9-AD, Mathematics 5- AD, Spanish 5-AD, and English 5-9. Joey Doe has been substitute teaching for one semester as a long-term substitute in a 9th grade Spanish classroom in Vandalia County, WV and has applied for the position. He has a bachelor s of regents degree (academic major) and 3.5 overall cumulative GPA. His minor is in Spanish, and he previously worked as a coordinator of human resources in a county school system, but he desires to be a Spanish teacher. He is a US Citizen. He has passed the following Praxis Exams: # 5712 - Reading, # 5722 Writing, # 5732 - Mathematics, and # 5195 World Languages: Spanish. Does Joey qualify for an Alternative Teaching Certificate? What are his options? Explain why he does or why he does not qualify?
Scenario # 4 Vandalia County s general education AC program is approved for Physics 9-AD, Mathematics 5-AD, and English 5-9. Jenny Doe, a non-US citizen, has a bachelor s degree with an academic major in mathematics with a 3.0 overall cumulative GPA. Her minor is in business. She wants to seek certification in mathematics 5-Adult. She has passed Praxis Exam # 5712 - Reading, # 5722 Writing, # 5732 Mathematics and # 5161 Mathematics: Content Knowledge. Does Jenny qualify for an Alternative Teaching Certificate? Explain why she does or why she does not?
Your to do List Ensure that your AC program is approved for the requested endorsement area Confirm that the candidate meets eligibility and qualifications criteria Ensure required Praxis exam scores are submitted to the WVDE Ensure that general education applicants hold either an academic major on an official transcript OR occupational qualifications (1 year minimum) as documented on V10 Ensure that candidates begin the AC program of study upon receiving the Alternative Teaching Certificate Ensure that the Professional Support Team creates a method of assessing/documenting the progress of AC candidates and utilizes it consistently
Please DO NOT Do not submit Form 25 without fully analyzing candidate eligibility and qualifications Especially critical when there is no WVBE-required Praxis exam Do not request that general education candidates take content Praxis exams without first verifying that the endorsement sought is offered by the approved AC program and ensuring that the applicant holds adequate academic or occupational qualifications Do not enroll applicants into the approved AC program and/or authorize applicants to teach before they have received an approved Alternative Teaching Certificate
Support, Observation, Supervision of AC Participants Training of Professional Support Team is required (according to the district s approved AC program) Intensive support requiredconsistent with district s WVSIPP Plan for supporting, supervising, inducting and mentoring a beginning teacher 18A-3C-3 Comprehensive Documentation Required Forms used by the Professional Support Team should narrate frequency & duration of support and provide a description of observation, mentoring & support. Documentation should reflect accuracy/actual implementation. Dates should be recorded if different from the calendar of events in the proposal.
Program of Study & Support Guidelines Adhere to the district s approved program of study for all participants AC participants, while credentialed with the Alternative Teaching Certificate, must remain in the position for which they were hired and are seeking an endorsement Refer to the WVDE WVSIPP Guidelines for supporting beginning teachers and the district s West Virginia Support Plan for Improving Professional Practice (WVSIPP) Evaluation of AC candidate
Renewal of Alternative Teaching Certificate Participants are required to achieve at least satisfactory progress in the AC program of study. Participants are required to achieve satisfactory educator evaluations. Alternative Teaching Certificate may be renewed twice for a total of three years.
Culmination of the Program of Study ALL participants must present passing scores on the Principles of Learning and Teaching (PLT) Special Education participants must also present passing scores on the Special Education Content Exam Documentation of successful completion of AC program of study required with initial licensure application for ALL participants (ex. transcript, professional development certificate(s), etc.) Approved rating on the Comprehensive Evaluation Report
Comprehensive Evaluation Report Required for submission with application for initial teaching license upon completion of the program Required to send to the OEEL if and when an individual fails to complete the program (Ex. AC teacher quits or is removed from the program) School district keeps record of each individual s comprehensive evaluation report for all AC participants whether or not they are program completers
Conversion from the Alternative Teaching Certificate to the Initial Professional Teaching Certificate Must complete the state approved alternative certification program Must complete all required Praxis Exams Must have approved recommendation on the comprehensive evaluation report Must maintain at least an overall cumulative GPA of 2.5 for all coursework attempted
Alternative Certification Resources Respective alternative certification programs for general education and special education The alternative certification FAQ document at http://wvde.state.wv.us/certification/ Alternative certification technical assistance and implementation webinars at http://wvde.state.wv.us/certification/resources.html State Code ( 18A-3-1f; 18A-3-1h) WVBE Policy 5901 WVBE Policy 5202 Alternative Teaching Certificate ( 126-136-15) Initial Professional Teaching Certificate ( 126-136-15.7)
Contact Information: West Virginia Department of Education Office of Educator Effectiveness and Licensure Robert Mellace rmellace@k12.wv.us Linda Bragg lnbragg@k12.wv.us 304.558.7010 http://wvde.state.wv.us/certification/
