ERIC Number: ED653354
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2021-Apr
Pages: 7
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Leveraging Flexible Teacher Certification Policies to Address the Bilingual Teacher Shortage
Sara Rutherford-Quach; Daniela Torre Gibney; Hannah Kelly; Jennifer Ballen Riccards; Elisa Garcia; Mindy Hsiao; Emma Pellerin; Carrie Parker
Region 4 Comprehensive Center
This brief is the third of a four-part series that focuses on bilingual education, bilingual educators, and addressing the bilingual teacher shortage in contexts across the United States. This research was commissioned by the New Jersey State Department of Education, which is committed to providing quality bilingual education to its linguistically diverse student population. More than half of U.S. states are experiencing bilingual teacher shortages, with shortages most acute in states that provide bilingual education to the greatest numbers of English learners (ELs) and those that require teachers to obtain specific bilingual endorsements (for more information on the term "English learner," please refer to our previous brief, Bilingual Education Across the United States). These states experience a persistent tension between: (1) requiring educators to comply with certification requirements and (2) meeting the increasing demand for bilingual teachers, driven by the growing population of ELs and the increasing popularity of dual language programs. States have created various policy solutions to broaden their bilingual teacher pool by diversifying the ways in which teachers may gain certification. In this brief, we share strategies that state education agencies may use to provide more flexibility in teacher certification policies and thereby mitigate bilingual teacher shortages, including: (1) providing educators multiple pathways to certification; (2) offering prospective teachers a menu of certification requirements; (3) allowing educators to earn probationary certifications; and (4) creating flexible reciprocity policies.
Descriptors: Teacher Certification, Educational Policy, Teacher Shortage, Bilingual Teachers, Bilingual Education, Student Diversity, Educational Quality, English Language Learners, Teacher Supply and Demand, State Policy, Alternative Teacher Certification
Policy Studies Associates, Inc. 1120 20th Street NW Suite 200N, Washington, DC 20036. Tel: 202-939-9780; Fax: 202-939-5732; Web site: https://www.policystudies.com; Web site: https://region4cc.org/
Publication Type: Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE) (ED), Office of Program and Grantee Support Services (PGSS)
Authoring Institution: Region 4 Comprehensive Center (R4CC)
Grant or Contract Numbers: SS283B190047