Preparation for the Classroom: West Virginia
Alternate Routes Policy
Analysis of West Virginia's policies
West Virginia changed its alternate route policy, eliminating its previous alternate route, the Transition to Teaching (TtT) program. West Virginia now authorizes alternate route providers based on their ability to meet the state's new requirements.
Coursework requirements: West Virginia requires all alternate route programs to provide candidates, at minimum, six semester credit hours and six staff development hours on student assessment, development and learning, curriculum, classroom management, use of educational technology, special education and diversity, school law, and, for elementary candidates, instruction in early literacy.
Induction support: West Virginia requires that all alternate route candidates be assigned a Professional Support Team whose structure is consistent with the induction model that the partnership's participating school follows for supporting, supervising, inducting a mentoring a beginning teacher. Although the state requires districts to create specific induction plans, it explicitly supports the use of scheduling adjustments to provide sufficient time to accomplish teacher development goals. During a candidate's first semester of teaching, this team is expected to observe the candidate on a weekly basis; during his or her second semester of teaching, observations are expected to be conducted on a bi-weekly basis. The team is also expected to meet on a monthly basis, and provide a final evaluation of each alternate route candidate.
Supervised practice teaching requirements: Although West Virginia requires all alternate route candidates to work with a Professional Support Team during their initial year in the classroom, the state does not require alternate route candidates to participate in a supervised practice teaching opportunity prior to becoming the teacher of record.
Recommendations for West Virginia
Ensure that new teachers are not burdened by excessive requirements.
Setting minimum requirements, without established maximums,
does not ensure that the new teacher will be able to complete the program in an
appropriate amount of time without being overburdened by coursework.
Require opportunities for candidates to practice teach.
In addition to intensive induction support throughout the alternate certification program, West Virginia should require that all candidates are provided with a practice teaching opportunity prior to their placement in the classroom.
State response to our analysis
West Virginia was helpful in providing NCTQ with facts that enhanced this analysis.
Updated: December 2017
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West Virginia
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General Teacher Preparation
- Program Entry
- Teacher Shortages and Surpluses
- Program Performance Measures
- Program Reporting Requirements
- Student Teaching/Clinical Practice
- Teaching Methods
Elementary Teacher Preparation
Secondary Teacher Preparation
- Middle School Content Knowledge
- Middle School Licensure Deficiencies
- Adolescent Literacy
- Secondary Content Knowledge
- Secondary Licensure Deficiencies
Special Education Teacher Preparation
Alternate Routes
Hiring
- Requirements for Out-of-State Teachers
- Provisional and Emergency Licensure
- Licensure for Substitute Teachers
- Supporting New Teachers
Teacher and Principal Evaluation
Teacher Compensation
Retaining Effective Teachers
Early Childhood Preparation
How we graded
5B: Preparation for the Classroom
- Practice Teaching: The state should require a supervised practice-teaching experience.
- Induction: The state should require that all new teachers receive intensive induction support.
- Manageable Coursework: The state should ensure that the amount of coursework it either requires or allows is manageable for a novice teacher. Anything exceeding 12 credit hours may be counterproductive, placing too great a burden on the teacher. This calculation is premised on no more than six credit hours in the summer, three credit hours in the spring, and three credit hours in the fall.
- Targeted Coursework: The state should ensure that all coursework requirements are targeted to the immediate needs of the new teacher (e.g., seminars with other grade-level teachers, classroom management techniques, training in a particular curriculum, reading instruction).
The total goal score is earned based on the following:
- Full credit: The state will earn the full point if all four elements are required for all alternate route programs.
- Three-quarters credit: The state will earn three-quarters of a point if three elements are required for all alternate route programs.
- One-half credit: The state will earn one-half of a point if two elements are required for at least some of the state's alternate route programs.
- One-quarter credit: The state will earn one-quarter of a point if one element is required for at least one of the state's alternate route programs.
Research rationale
Alternate route programs must provide practical, meaningful preparation that is sensitive to a new teacher's workload and stress level. Too many states have policies requiring alternate route programs to "backload" large amounts of traditional education coursework, thereby preventing the emergence of real alternatives to traditional preparation. This issue is especially important given the large proportion of alternate route teachers who complete this coursework while teaching. Alternate route teachers often have to deal with the stresses of beginning to teach while also completing required coursework in the evenings and on weekends.[1] States need to be careful to require participants only to meet standards or complete coursework that is practical and immediately helpful to a new teacher.[2] That is, while advanced pedagogy coursework may be meaningful for veteran teachers, alternate route coursework should build on more fundamental teaching competencies such as classroom management techniques, reading instruction, or curriculum delivery.
Most new teachers—regardless of their preparation—find themselves overwhelmed by taking on their own classrooms. This is especially true for alternate route teachers, who may have had considerably less classroom exposure or pedagogy training than traditionally prepared teachers.[3] States must ensure that alternate route programs do not leave new teachers to "sink or swim" on their own when they begin teaching. It is critical that all alternate route programs provide at least a brief student teaching or other supervised practice experience for candidates before they enter the classroom, as well as ongoing induction support during those first critical months as a new teacher.[4]
[1] Constantine, J., Player, D., Silva, T., Hallgren, K., Grider, M., & Deke, J. (2009). An evaluation of teachers trained through different routes to certification. Final Report. NCEE 2009-4043. National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance. Retrieved from http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED504313.pdf
[2] Walsh, K., & Jacobs, S. (2007). Alternative certification isn't alternative. Thomas B. Fordham Institute, National Council on Teacher Quality. Retrieved from http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED498382.pdf
[3] Greenberg, J., Walsh, K., & McKee, A. (2014). Teacher Prep Review: A review of the nation's teacher preparation programs. Retrieved from http://www.nctq.org/dmsView/Teacher_Prep_Review_2014_Report
[4] For a further review of the research on new teacher induction, see: Rogers, M., Lopez, A., Lash, A., Schaffner, M., Shields, P., & Wagner, M. (2004). Review of research on the impact of beginning teacher induction on teacher quality and retention. Retrieved from http://www.newteacher.com/pdf/ResearchontheImpactofInduction.pdf