| The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of Education Service Center, Region 2 Alternative Certification Program. Four factors were analyzed based on the perceptions of campus administrators: the effectiveness of teacher preparation, the extent to which the alternative certification program was impacting the problem of teacher shortages, the type of professional individuals enrolled in the alternative certification program, and the percentages of teacher certification candidates in the ESC 2, Alternative Certification Program representing minority groups.; Surveys were analyzed from 27 campus administrators representing 14 school districts, at both elementary and secondary public schools that participated in the Education Service Center, Region 2, Alternative Teacher Certification Program during the 1999–2000 school year.; Campus administrators surveyed perceived no significant difference in the areas of instruction and assessment, classroom management, or communication skills between alternative certified teachers and traditional certified teachers as measured by this instrument.; The administrators felt that the alternative certification program in Education Service Center, Region 2, either somewhat reduced or greatly reduced the teacher shortage in their school district. This study found that most of the professionals enrolling in the alternative teacher certification program had backgrounds in the social sciences. Of the administrators surveyed for this study, 50.0% of them said the alternative certification program in Education Service Center, Region 2, made no difference in supplying an ethnic diverse teacher workforce.; The implications from the findings of this research study are numerous and can have an effect in areas such as teacher hiring practices and teacher preparation programs. It is important to note that the researcher recommends that expert opinions be sought and further research be conducted on both teacher certification programs before any recommendations for change to either certification program are made. |
