A summary of is available from the .
More than 120 alternative teacher-preparation programs in almost 550 sites are now operating in 47 states and the District of Columbia鈥攑roducing a growing number of teacher-candidates, according to a national survey of individuals who are entering the field through alternative routes.
Conducted by the private, Washington-based National Center for Education Information, the survey鈥攔eleased June 2鈥攕hows that about 35,000 newly certified teachers who completed alternative programs are on the job this school year. The 35,000 teachers were randomly selected from a larger sample.
The survey also shows that almost all those who utilize such routes choose to continue teaching after their first year, compared with roughly 40 percent of traditionally prepared teachers. Moreover, alternative programs are attracting older candidates into education careers, the survey found.
