The Alternate Route Teachers’ Transition to the Classroom: Preparation, Support, and Retention

Abstract

The U.S. Department of Education predicts that more than 2.2 million teaching positions in kindergarten through 12th grade will need to be filled over the next 10 years. Given the demand for classroom teachers, 48 states and the District of Columbia have created alternate route (AR) teaching certification programs to recruit individuals who have earned college degrees and worked in their chosen fields but had no prior teaching experience. The major purpose of this study is to identify issues related to the AR teachers’ transition process in three phases: (a) preparation before entering the classroom, (b) support provided by schools/districts during the process, and (c) retention in the teaching profession. By surveying high school principals and their AR teachers in New Jersey, this study attempted to provide suggestions that support AR teachers’ positive and effective transition to the classroom and their continuous development and positive experience in the teaching profession.