The Relative Effectiveness of Traditional and Alternative Teacher Preparation Programs: A Review of Recent Research
Educational researchers have frequently argued that teachers are the most influential school-related factor for student learning (Clotfelter, Ladd, & Vigdor, 2010; Goldhaber, 2002; Hanushek, 2007; Harris & Sass, 2011). Accordingly, policymakers have often sought ways to improve teacher preparation, in-service training, recruitment, and retention (e.g., Brighouse, 2008; Center for American Progress, 2012; National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education, 2016).
Teacher preparation refers to a “state-approved course of study, the completion of which signifies that an enrollee has met all the state’s educational or training requirements for initial certification or licensure to teach in the state’s elementary or secondary schools” (Department of Education, 2016, p. 6). The widespread concern for the quality of teacher preparation has extended to both traditional programs at four-year institutions and alternative programs created to address teacher shortages.
From an econometric perspective, the expansion of expedited alternative preparation programs might be an efficient method for increasing the number of teachers, but many have questioned whether such a singular focus on efficiency sacrifices quality in terms of teacher skills and knowledge and, ultimately, student learning outcomes (e.g., Darling-Hammond, Chung, & Frelow, 2002; Goldhaber, Liddle, & Theobald, 2013; Kane, Rockoff, & Staiger, 2008). This brief seeks to inform policies on teacher preparation by reviewing research on the effects of teacher certification and preparation programs in relation to student performance and teacher outcomes.
