Sclafani slides

							       Archived Information



Houston’s
Alternative
Certification
Program
A Partial Solution to Teacher Shortages



           Susan Sclafani
           Chief of Staff for Educational Services
           Houston Independent School District
  HISD serves a richly diverse student
  population



Student Enrollment:      Free/Reduced Lunch:
                         (family of 4 maximum income:
                                  $1,739/month)
      210,200
                                 73.1%
                             Special
Ethnicity:                   Programs:
Hispanic         53.1%   Bilingual Education 15.8%
African American 33.8%   Special Education 10.5%
White/Asian      10.3%   Gifted/Talented      9.1%
    HISD Ethnicity Trend
                       140

                              White
                       120



                       100
           Thousands

                        80
                             Black
                        60


White                   40

Black                        Hispanic
Hispanic                20



                         0
                             1970   1975   1980   1985   1990   1995   2000

                         (1999 Data: Hispanic 53.1%, Black 33.8%, White 10.3%)
           Texas Teacher
           Shortages
TEXAS
 63,300 Vacancies in 1998-99
 21,900 Teachers Certified in 1997-98
      12,200 University Graduates
      2,700 ACP Graduates
      7,000 Out-of-State Transfer of Certification
Houston
 1,400 Vacancies in 1999-2000
 247 ACP Interns in Classrooms
            Houston’s ACP
            Program
   First ACP in Texas in 1986
   Over 4,000 Teachers Certified
   Critical Shortage Areas
       Mathematics and Science
       Bilingual and ESL Education
       Special Education
       Bilingual Diagnosticians
   Requirements
       Bachelor’s Degree with 2.5 GPA
       24 Semester Hours in Area of Certification
            Critical Success
            Factors
   Rigorous Selection Process
       Transcript Evaluation
       Reference Checks
       Gallup Urban Teacher Perceiver
   High Quality Coursework
       University Courses
       Summer Preparation Seminars and Weekly Seminars
   Intern Support in Classroom
       Mentor Teacher
       Principal Observations and Support
       ACP Specialist
            Critical Success
            Factors
   Opportunities for Growth
       Release Time for Observations of Master Teachers
       Substitute Days to Visit Other Schools
       Debriefing Sessions Every Week for First Semester
       Practice Sessions for State Certification Examination
       Participation in District Professional Development
   Evidence of Success
       Mentor Teacher Observations
       Principal Assessments
       ACP Specialist’s Assessments
       Portfolio of Lessons and Student Work
        Retention Rates

   One-Year Retention Rates
     Texas         70%
     Houston       86%
       TFA         94%


   Five-Year Retention Rates
     60%     ACP
     50%     Regularly Certified
     30%     Teach for America
        Retention Rates
        Teach for America

   Houston 1993-2000
     55% Teaching
     16% Graduate School
       9%   Education Related
     14%   Working for Non-Profits
       11%   Education Related
   Nationally
     60%   in Education