Strengthening the University of Delaware Alternative Routes to Certification program: improving program organization to better support teacher preparation
Date
2021
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Publisher
University of Delaware
Abstract
This Educational Leadership Portfolio (ELP) focuses on evaluating and improving the Alternative Routes to Certification program at the University of Delaware (UD ARTC). In Delaware, Alternative Routes to Certification programs offer teacher cerification to those who meet certain entry requirements, but do not necessarily have experience in the education field. These teacher candidates already have bachelor's degrees and are often looking to change careers in order to enter the teaching profession. The problem addressed is the lack of clear purposes served by UD ARTC, from both an organizational and policy perspective, in addition to the absence of progress evaluation towards those goals and/or purposes. My overall evaluation of the program and my recommendations for program improvement are targeted for the University of Delaware Center for Teacher Education (DCTE) (the organization within which ARTC operates) and the organization’s supervising faculty. ☐ My ELP identifies the primary goals and purposes that UD ARTC is intended to serve, measures its current level of success regarding serving those purposes and meeting those goals, and subsequently provides suggestions for improvement so the program can better serve those purposes and meet those goals. Through formal interviews with various stakeholders, collection and analysis of program data over a 5-year period, close examination of relevant state code and regulations, this ELP has developed updated tools, written policies, and procedures intended to improve UD ARTC and ensure that it becomes an organization focused on continuous improvement. Analysis of program data identified both areas of success and opportunities for growth, while a new online orientation module, a research-based coaching framework, a revised course schedule, and updated policies and procedures target those opportunities for improvement. Research on best practices and similar programs inform the new coaching framework while comparison of state code and regulations to current coursework offered by the University presents recommendations for new prescribed courses. Clarity and consistency are the focus of revised policies and procedures which are communicated via the orientation module--all of which are intended to increase the program's overall completion rate and ultimately the pool of certified teachers in the state of Delaware.
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Keywords
Alternative, Certification, Delaware, Education, Teacher