Expanding the Pool of Teachers Policy
Hawaii does not provide guidelines for alternate route program requirements.
Articulate guidelines for alternate route programs.
Hawaii should establish minimum requirements for its alternate route programs to ensure that programs provide streamlined preparation that meets the immediate needs of new teachers. The state should articulate guidelines regarding the nature and amount of coursework required of candidates. Further, alternate route programs should not be permitted to overburden the new teacher by requiring multiple courses to be taken simultaneously during the school year. Hawaii should also ensure that programs can be completed within two years. In addition, the state should establish guidelines for practice teaching and/or induction to ensure that new teachers are supported in the first year of teaching.
Hawaii noted that the state now requires teacher candidates to complete 450 hours of clinical experience. Cooperating teachers meet rigorous criteria and the specific requirements of each State Approved Teacher Education Program (SATEP) for their teacher candidates.
The extent of the clinical experience requirement appears more consistent with a traditional student teaching requirement and not something designed specifically to give alternate route teachers exposure to the classroom before they become teachers of record. While it is certainly desirable for alternate route teachers to have a practice-teaching opportunity before becoming teacher of record, holding alternate route teachers to the same requirements for student teaching as traditional candidates is inconsistent with the intent of alternative certification.