TITLEDelaware Alternative Route To Certification (ARTC)/Secondary Education HISTORYProgram developed by Alternative Routes to Certification Consortium under the direction of the Delaware Professional Standards Council, 1995-96. Legislation was approved in 1996. Program was approved by the State Board of Education to operate in 1997. MOTIVATIONThe program developed out of the Professional Standards Council's "Educational Plan for Certification and Career Development." The desire was to develop a less traditional route (that meets the same standards as traditional routes) for talented individuals to enter the teaching profession more quickly while being trained as teachers. GRADE LEVELS AND/OR SUBJECT AREA(S) COVEREDSecondary (middle and high school) content areas designated "critical needs areas" in Delaware – currently the sciences (including agricultural sciences), mathematics, foreign languages, English, business and technology education. WHO OPERATESA collaboration among the Department of Education, the University of Delaware , and Delaware public and charter schools. The Program Coordinator is housed at the University of Delaware campus in Newark and directs the program serving New Castle County school districts. The Assistant Coordinator is located at the UD campus in Georgetown and directs the program for Kent and Sussex County school districts. REQUIREMENTS TO ENTER• A Bachelor's Degree or equivalent from an accredited college with a major in the field to be taught/certified. • Passing scores on the state's basic skills tests (currently the Praxis I). • Satisfactory health and criminal background checks. • Employment in a Delaware public or charter secondary (middle or high) school as a teacher in the qualified content area. PROGRAM DESCRIPTIONOnce a candidate has been hired in a teaching position for which they are content-area qualified, the school or district can request to enroll him or her in ARTC. The program consists of two interrelated components: Each university center provides a state-approved program of 15 graduate credits in professional education: effective teaching strategies, adolescent development and classroom management, reading in the secondary content areas, classroom diversity (including multicultural education and special needs students), and methods in the specific teaching field. Candidates ideally begin with a Summer Institute of two courses in effective teaching (instructional design, planning, assessment and delivery) and classroom management. Later hires begin the program as new cohorts are formed. The employing school agrees to provide intensive on-the-job mentoring and supervision by a school administrator during the period of ARTC training. The supervisor documents successful classroom performance as an internship in lieu of the student-teaching requirement for certification. Certification requires satisfaction of the Praxis requirements and successful completion of both the professional education and internship components, including a recommendation from the school supervisor for initial certification. Occasionally individuals will also need to complete additional courses in the content area. The program employs a cohort model, in which small groups of ARTC teachers enter the program and complete the entire course sequence together in specially designed classes. Courses and workshops are conducted by both university faculty and skilled practitioners experienced in the content areas covered by the program. NUMBER OF CREDIT HOURS TO COMPLETECandidates take the equivalent of 15 credit hours of professional education coursework within a period of approximately 12 to 18 months. Candidates who need additional courses in the subject area may take longer to complete certification requirements. WHO EVALUATESDelaware Department of Education. LENGTH OF TIMETwelve to eighteen months. |
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