Preparation for the Classroom: Arkansas
Alternate Routes Policy
Analysis of Arkansas's policies
Arkansas has several alternate route programs, including the Arkansas Professional Pathway to Educator Licensure (APPEL); the Master of Arts in Teaching Pathway to Educator Licensure (MAT), MED, or MTLL through Approved Arkansas Colleges and Universities; the Arkansas Teacher Corps (ATC), the American Board for the Certification on Teacher Excellence (ABCTE); and residency programs through eStem and Prism Teacher Institute. The Provisional Professional Teaching License (PTTL) is available for experienced professionals seeking to teach non-elementary grades and non-special education.
Practice Teaching: An alternative educator preparation program may place the candidate as a teacher of record with a Provisional License, or in supervised clinical practice as a culminating experience of the candidate's program before licensure. Arkansas requires all alternate route programs to articulate and describe the field experiences (observations, practicums) and supervised clinical practice (student teaching, internships) provided to candidates as part of the state program approval protocol.
Induction Support: Arkansas requires that all new teachers, including alternate route candidates placed in schools, participate in mentorship through Teacher Excellence and Support System (TESS) Novice Teacher Mentoring Program. Each novice teacher must be provided support via a scaffolded-support opportunities for the first three years of employment. Teachers in an alternative educator preparation program may receive mentoring support until the completion of their program, or longer, at the discretion of their administrator. The program is facilitated through 15 educational service cooperatives throughout the state.
ATC candidates must participate in a 7-week summer institute on ATC training curriculum. APPEL candidates must participate in a 3-week summer academy. TFA candidates participate in a 5-week summer institute. The Prism Teacher Institute candidates must participate in two weeks of preservice summer instruction.
Manageable Coursework: Through the state approval protocol, Arkansas requires all alternate route programs to align their coursework with the Arkansas Teaching Standards (ATS) and the Teacher Excellence and Support System (TESS) framework, which is expressly intended to address the needs of novice teachers. While programs are required to submit coursework plans for approval to the state, including course descriptions and associated clock hours, the state does not provide any guidelines related to the quantity of the coursework.
TFA teachers must complete nine graduate hours from DSU.
PPTL teachers must complete twelve hours each year of the Provisional License of training in pedagogy through ArkansasIDEA, in addition to an annual professional development requirement.
Throughout the two-year APPEL program, teachers participate in 8 monthly (face-to-face and online) modules during September - April of each year and also 3 full weeks of modules in each June.
While serving as teachers of record, Prism Teacher Institute participates attend 10 face-to-face, full-day training sessions in the month of July for both years of the program and also face-to-face weekly meetings and occasional full-day seminars.
Targeted Coursework: All alternative licensure programs include instruction in child maltreatment, parental involvement, teen suicide prevention, and dyslexia awareness.
An applicant enrolled in a master's degree in teaching program (MAT, M.Ed., or MTLL) in Special Education must complete SPED 101 Academy, three credit hours in special education, and the appropriate content area assessments for special education.
Programs leading to Elementary Education K-6 and Special Education K-12 must include instruction in the science of reading, through objective alignment to the Foundations of Reading Competencies-Proficiency Level. Programs leading to licensure areas other than Elementary Education K-6 or Special Education K-12 should present evidence of alignment to the Science of Reading Competencies-Awareness Level.
Recommendations for Arkansas
Require practice teaching opportunities.
Arkansas should require that all alternate routes establish practice teaching opportunities for novice teachers as part of their preparation prior to becoming teachers of record. This corresponds directly to the student teaching experience for traditionally prepared educators and better prepares candidates to be successful in the classroom.
Limit coursework for new teachers.
Arkansas should ensure that all novice alternate route teachers have manageable coursework while teaching. Given the demands on a novice teacher's time, course requirements should not exceed three credit hours in the spring and fall and six credit hours in the summer.
Target coursework for all new teachers.
Arkansas should ensure that all novice alternate route teachers' coursework is relevant to the immediate needs of new teachers. Appropriate coursework should include grade-level or subject-level seminars, methodology in the content area, classroom management, assessment and instruction in the science of reading.
State response to our analysis
Arkansas was helpful in providing NCTQ with the facts necessary for this analysis.
Updated: January 2020
-
Arkansas
Select another topic
Teacher Preparation
- Program Entry
- Teacher Shortages and Surpluses
- Program Performance Measures
- Program Reporting Requirements
- Student Teaching/Clinical Practice
Elementary Teacher Preparation
Secondary Teacher Preparation
- Middle School Content Knowledge
- Middle School Licensure Requirements
- Secondary Content Knowledge
- Secondary Licensure Requirements
Special Education Teacher Preparation
Alternate Routes
Teacher Diversity
Hiring
Teacher and Principal Evaluation
Teacher Compensation
Early Childhood Preparation
Retaining Effective Teachers
How we graded
- Practice Teaching: The state should require a supervised practice-teaching experience prior to entry into the classroom as the "teacher of record".
- Induction: The state should require that all new teachers receive intensive induction support that includes mentorship with experienced educators.
- Manageable Coursework: The state should ensure that the amount of coursework it either requires or allows is manageable for a novice teacher. Anything exceeding 12 credit/semester hours or 40 contact/clock hours per year may be counterproductive, placing too great a burden on the teacher. This calculation is premised on no more than six credit hours in the summer, three credit hours in the spring, and three credit hours in the fall.
- Targeted Coursework: The state should ensure that all coursework requirements are targeted to the immediate needs of new teachers, with an emphasis on classroom behavioral management (courses that include childhood development and psychology, culturally responsive teaching and learning, diverse learners, etc.) and pedagogy (courses that include curriculum, instructional planning and assessment; differentiated learning; etc.).
The total goal score is earned based on the following:
- Full credit: The state will earn the full point if all four elements - practice teaching, induction, manageable coursework, and targeted coursework - are required for every alternate route program/pathway offered by the state.
- Three-quarters credit: The state will earn three-quarters of a point if three elements are required for every alternate route program/pathway offered by the state.
- One-half credit: The state will earn one-half of a point if two elements are required for every alternate route program/pathway offered by the state.
- One-quarter credit: The state will earn one-quarter of a point if one element is required for every alternate route program/pathway offered by the state.
Research rationale
Teachers who enter the profession through alternate routes report lower levels of self-efficacy compared to beginning teachers who enter through traditional teacher preparation programs. Alternate route teachers are likely to be especially concerned about their ability to effectively deliver instruction, manage the classroom, and plan lessons[1]. Most new teachers—regardless of their preparation—find themselves overwhelmed by the responsibilities of the job. This is especially true for alternate route teachers, who may have had considerably less classroom exposure than traditionally prepared teachers[2]. States must ensure that alternate routes do not leave new teachers to "sink or swim" on their own when they begin teaching.
It is critical that all alternate routes provide at least a brief student teaching or other supervised practice experience for candidates before they enter their own classrooms. Field work and exposure to real classrooms offers a scaffolded opportunity for prospective new teachers to gain practical experience. Across areas of instruction, student teachers feel significantly better prepared after completing student teaching[3]. Access to highly-effective rated cooperating teachers in student teaching experiences results in pronounced positive outcomes for students of aspiring teachers[4].
Additionally, all new teachers need comprehensive and ongoing professional development even after they become "teachers of record.[5]" Effective induction programs go beyond the basics of new teacher orientation[6] and may include comprehensive supports, such as mentorship, common planning time with other teachers, reduced teaching course loads, and assistance from a classroom aide. Access to a mentor teacher with subject-area expertise and dedicated common collaboration time with other teachers of the same subject area are cited as the two most effective factors in reducing first-year turnover and improving job satisfaction and commitment[7]. Robust and consistent mentorship not only helps new teachers feel supported, but also improves retention and student outcomes[8]. Importantly, students' academic performance increases when they're taught by teachers who are highly engaged in induction programs with mentorship, as compared to students of teachers who are not engaged in such programs[9]. Induction programs should require new teachers, especially those who enter the profession through alternate routes with limited preparation, to collaborate with experienced and effective mentors who can guide them through what can often be a challenging transition into a new career.
Alternate routes must provide practical and meaningful coursework that is sensitive to a new teacher's workload and stress level. State policies that require alternate route programs to "backload" large amounts of traditional education coursework prevent the emergence of real alternatives to traditional preparation. This issue is especially important given the large proportion of alternate route teachers who complete required coursework in the evenings and on weekends while also teaching[10]. States need to be careful to require participants only to meet standards or complete coursework that is practical and immediately helpful to a new teacher[11]. That is, while advanced pedagogy coursework may be meaningful for veteran teachers, alternate route coursework should build on more fundamental professional competencies such as classroom management techniques, instructional methods, or curriculum delivery. Alternate route participants' primary concern as novice teachers is managing the classroom, which should be a focus in required coursework. Furthermore, the curriculum for teacher training programs must be aligned to what beginner teachers experience in the classroom. Clear connections between theory and best teaching practices enable coursework to be directly translated into the classroom[12].
[1] Forsbach-Rothman, T., Margolin, M., & Bloom, D. (2007). Student Teachers and Alternate Route Teachers' Sense of Efficacy and Views of Teacher Preparation. Journal of the National Association for Alternative Certification,2(1), 29-41. Retrieved from http://jnaac.com/index.php/JNAAC/article/view/45/33
[2] Greenberg, J., Walsh, K., & McKee, A. (2014). Teacher Prep Review: A review of the nation's teacher preparation programs.Retrieved from http://www.nctq.org/dmsView/Teacher_Prep_Review_2014_Report
[3] Darling-Hammond, L. (2014). Strengthening Clinical Preparation: The Holy Grail of Teacher Education. Peabody Journal of Education,89(4), 547-561. doi:https://doi-org.proxy.library.georgetown.edu/10.1080/0161956X.2014.939009
[4] Goldhaber, D., Krieg, J., & Theobald, R. (2019). Leveraging the student-teaching experience to train tomorrow's great teachers. Brown Center Chalkboard. Retrieved from https://www.brookings.edu/blog/brown-center-chalkboard/2019/05/20/leveraging-the-student-teaching-experience-to-train-tomorrows-great-teachers/.
[5] For a further review of the research on new teacher induction, see: Rogers, M., Lopez, A., Lash, A., Schaffner, M., Shields, P., & Wagner, M. (2004). Review of research on the impact of beginning teacher induction on teacher quality and retention. Retrieved from http://www.newteacher.com/pdf/ResearchontheImpactofInduction.pdf
[6] Wong, H. K. (2004). Induction Programs That Keep New Teachers Teaching and Improving. NASSP Bulletin, 88(638), 41-58. Retrieved from https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/f71d/e558a5e10724e31ba26d477057ef0272110b.pdf
[7] Ingersoll, R. M. (2012, May 16). Beginning Teacher Induction: What the Data Tell us. Education Week. Retrieved from https://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2012/05/16/kappan_ingersoll.h31.html
[8] Brody, S. (2017, November). A bright spot for PD—new teacher induction that works [Web log post]. Retrieved from https://www.nctq.org/blog/A-bright-spot-for-PDnew-teacher-induction-that-works
[9] There is no shortage of research that indicates the students of new teachers who receive strong mentorship have higher scores than those of new teachers with minimal to no or weak mentorship. See: Best Practices in Teacher and Administrator Induction Programs. (2016). California County Superintendents Educational Services Association. Retrieved from http://ccsesa.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Best-Practices-in-Teacher-and-Administrator-Induction-Programs.pdf
[10] Constantine, J., Player, D., Silva, T., Hallgren, K., Grider, M., & Deke, J. (2009). An evaluation of teachers trained through different routes to certification. Final Report. NCEE 2009-4043. National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance. Retrieved from http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED504313.pdf
[11] Walsh, K., & Jacobs, S. (2007). Alternative certification isn't alternative. Thomas B. Fordham Institute, National Council on Teacher Quality. Retrieved from http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED498382.pdf
[12] O'Connora, E. A., Malow, M. S., & Bisland, B. M. (2011). Mentorship and instruction received during training: Views of alternatively certified teachers. Educational Review,63(2), 219-232. doi:10.1080/00131911.2010.537312