Before 1984, nearly 975 of teachers entered the teaching profession after graduating from a traditional university-based program. However, beginning in the mid-1980s, alternative routes leading to teacher certification began to emerge in the United States. As of 2010, nearly one-third of all new teachers graduated from an alternative preparation program. As alternative certification (AC) routes approach 30 years since establishment, programs continue to evolve and increase in enrollment. This study focused on the changes that have come about in the maturation of alternative certification programs in Texas since legislation was passed in 1985. The purpose of the study was to delineate the evolution of AC programs using a historical approach, the study used both primary and secondary resources as research tools and employed the use of eight interviews and the literature review for the collection of data. The prediction of future teacher shortages, the need for diversity in the profession the political view to privatize education, and economic recessions were all motivating factors for establishing alternative teacher programs. In the beginning, graduation from AC programs were perceived as not authentic teachers and not as prepared for teaching as graduates from traditional programs. AC programs have become a legitimate and viable option for educator preparation programs as they offer greater flexibility, staff/instructor diversity, and multiple approaches to instruction. This data suggests that AC programs in Texas have emerged as a real and sustainable option to traditional certification programs leading to certification and licensure.

Alternative Certification Programs (ACPs) have been established in 47 states across the country, including Florida, to help alleviate the teacher shortage many public school districts have been experiencing during the last two decades. This teacher shortage has been reported to be more prevalent in areas where fully qualified and committed teachers are most needed. Current literature has identified areas such as inner-city schools, at-risk and minority students, bilingual education, math and physical sciences, and the special education field as the educational areas where the shortage is most significant. Faced with this dilemma, states have instituted ACPs as unconventional ways to attract and recruit potential teacher candidates from professional fields outside the profession of education and assist them in becoming fully certified and highly qualified teachers. The objective of any ACP is to provide an alternate way for an interested professional to become a teacher without going back to a college or university. Therefore, any ACP functions as a supplement to traditional college education programs in preparing prospective teacher candidates. The focus of this study is the Alternative Certification Programs established by the public school districts in the state of Florida as required by state statutes. It was designed to assess the effectiveness of such programs based on the perspectives, attitudes, and perceptions that selected public school principals have on these programs and on alternatively certified teachers. These principals were identified and selected by their respective school districts. A questionnaire, created in part by the researcher, was used to identify the perspectives, attitudes, and perceptions public school principals have on ACPs and alternatively certified teachers. Data on the different ACPs were collected directly from the different public school districts and from Internet Web sites established by the districts. The researcher contacted 67 Florida public school districts requesting information on their respective ACPs and asked them to select and identify three school principals who had experience with alternatively certified teachers to participate in a survey concerning their attitudes, perceptions, and perspectives about alternatively certified teachers and the alternative certification programs. The researcher asked that the three principals be selected one each from the grade levels of elementary, middle, and high school. Findings indicated that the alternative certification programs throughout the State of Florida are producing highly qualified teachers whose overall performance has been rated as equal to or better than that of newly hired traditionally certified teacher. These findings are based on the responses provided by the principals who completed and returned the 20-item questionnaire and on other existing literature and data on the state's alternative certification program. The overall impression from the principals' responses is that they are satisfied with the quality work and performance of their alternatively certified teachers.

This qualitative study examined principals’ and teachers’ perceptions regarding retaining teachers in a large urban school system. This study was based on the premise that once teachers are recruited into an urban school, genuine support (conceptual and instructional) is needed for them to be retained in that type of setting. Retaining highly qualified teachers in urban schools is integral for student achievement and can relieve the financial strain for school districts. Studies have found that when teachers reach their fifth year of teaching, many leave the profession for various reasons, and most never return. To ensure the validity of the study, the triangulation method was deemed most appropriate and the instruments used to gather the data were; questionnaires and focus groups. The study was conducted in one of the largest urban school districts in the metropolitan Atlanta area. Three elementary Title I schools with relatively low (CCPRI) scores per Georgia’s Department of Education and similar demographics were selected to participate. The study required that all participants have more than two years of experience in an urban school. Collectively, 3 principals and 82 teachers responded to the questionnaires and 18 teachers participated in the focus groups. Based on the findings, teachers leave the large urban school system because of the lack of quality instruction feedback, teacher support, and teacher classroom management in their schools. It was found that it is difficult to retain teachers of a demographic (age and gender per the study). Data collection also revealed that intensive induction/ mentoring programs provided throughout the school year should be offered by the district. The conclusions drawn from the findings suggest that principals and teachers have contrasting perceptions of why teachers leave their schools. Principals felt that they were working to build capacity in their schools to improve professional relationships with the staff, to increase cultural awareness, provide meaningful and authentic teacher quality instructional feedback, and effective teacher support. Teachers felt the need to have additional necessary resources (mentors from the district and funding for targeted professional development) to retain them in urban schools.