Alternative certification programs can help schools to fill vacant teaching roles with eager and promising teaching candidates. Flexible and affordable, it’s no wonder both schools and potential teachers are drawn to this attractive alternative to traditional teacher prep programs. However, these programs must still equip future teachers with the skills, competencies, and knowledge essential to delivering high-quality academic instruction and managing classrooms. And too many are failing miserably.
This is the general consensus reached in a July 2025 brief released by the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ). The brief utilizes federal Title II data and online information from over 550 alternative certification programs that include a pathway for elementary teacher certification. The data are used to examine clinical practice experiences, coursework requirements, and mentorship opportunities, which serve as foundational academic and professional experiences for pre-service teachers. The dataset includes information for programs that are both based in institutions of higher education (IHE) and those run independently.
The brief finds uneven program quality across alternative certification programs and suggests avenues for targeted improvement. For example, nearly two-thirds (62 percent) of alternative programs don’t provide clinical practice, and only about a third (34 percent) of the programs require student teaching before becoming a full-time teacher, leaving many participants placed in classrooms without prior clinical teaching experience or even exposure to classroom environments. Although 40 percent of alternative programs provide some early field experiences to candidates, these experiences alone may not be sufficient preparation for participants in programs without full-time clinical practice to follow.
The vast majority (91 percent) of alternative programs require coursework for their enrollees, with a slight majority (56 percent) requiring coursework to be completed prior to entering the classroom. The depth and quality of such courses can vary greatly between programs, and nearly 40 percent of alternative programs offer entirely online coursework, which has been associated with higher teacher turnover and lower student achievement. Clearly articulated coursework requirements and expectations for instructor-led versus self-paced instruction are essential to adequately prepare teacher candidates for their work.
Most candidates in programs offering clinical practice experiences work closely with a veteran educator. However, 45 percent of “fast-track” programs (i.e., programs that lack a clinical practice component) lack clearly outlined mentorship requirements. Structured mentorship opportunities during (and potentially beyond) clinical practice experiences with high-quality mentor teachers are crucial for novice teachers to build instructional expertise and comfort in classroom environments.
Enrollment in alternative programs has risen by 63 percent over the past decade and a half, while overall teacher prep enrollment has fallen. However, the number of alternative program completers has fallen since 2010–11, with non-IHE-based programs serving as the main catalyst for such trends. Notably, Texas is responsible for over two-thirds (67 percent) of non-IHE program enrollment in the U.S., yet program completion rates have fallen by 21 percent over the past decade and a half. State leaders in Texas aim to address this issue through increased state funding—$187 million for teacher prep programs, including alternative programs, was included as part of House Bill 2, which was signed into law in June 2025.
Two programs (Teachers of Tomorrow and iTeach) are responsible for nearly half (48 percent) of all alternative program enrollment, both of which are fast-track, non-IHE based programs. accredited by the Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation (AAQEP) and the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP), respectively. Teachers of Tomorrow relies primarily on self-paced online modules with no required supervised teaching experiences or formal observations. Thus, as alternative program enrollment rates rise and completion rates fall, accurate and detailed state-level data provide a crucial “quality check” on these programs.
The brief provides helpful recommendations for state policymakers, including:
- Require full-time, supervised clinical practice before candidates become teachers of record.
- Set clear expectations for course delivery.
- Maintain a rigorous, state-led preparation program review process that holds alternative programs to the same high expectations as traditional programs.
Alternative certification programs have potential, but they do not inherently guarantee a well-equipped teacher workforce in the long term. Frequent clinical experiences, solid coursework, and consistent mentorship opportunities facilitate crucial learning experiences for teacher candidates seeking to make a positive impact in their classrooms. Teacher candidates need academic rigor and professional preparation to meet the growing demands of their classrooms.
SOURCE: Ron Noble and Christie Ellis, “What’s the Alternative? How some alternative certification programs are shortchanging teachers,” National Council on Teacher Quality (July 2025).
