Alternative Routes to Teaching and the No Child Left Behind Act In the United States, individual states are responsible for governing teacher licensure. Generally, the standard method of teacher licensing is the college teacher-education route. Colleges and universities develop a program of studies for aspiring teachers following state approved guidelines. An aspiring teacher applies to the college or university, completes the program of studies, passes the required competency tests, such as the Praxis, completes required internships, and is then granted a license to teach in the state where the program was completed. The Need for Alternative Routes to Teacher Licensure The fear of a widespread teacher shortage in the 1980s led to "alternative routes" to teacher licensure. Any type of teacher licensure that occurs outside the typical four-year, competency test, and internship type of licensure is considered "alternative." For two decades alternative licensing procedures varied greatly from state to state. In some states, localities were permitted to issue alternative teaching licenses. The initial goal of alternative teacher licensure was to quickly increase the number of teachers qualified to teach in fields and localities where teacher shortages created crises, and there was little, if any, attention given to professional development in the push to fill teacher vacancies. The Impact of "Highly Qualified Teachers" Historically, teacher licensing was a state issue; however, The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 requires that states choosing to accept federal education funding provide evidence that its teachers not only hold licensure, but are "highly qualified." Because research indicates that students make greater gains in academic achievement with an effective teacher, and licensure is a primary agent to determine potential teacher effectiveness, "highly qualified teachers" must staff all classrooms by 2005-06. No Child Left Behind Guidelines for "Highly Qualified" Designation Public elementary and secondary teachers Must be fully licensed or certified by the state and not have had any certification or licensure requirements waived on an emergency, temporary, or provisional basis New public elementary school teachers Must have at least a bachelor's degree and pass a state test demonstrating subject knowledge and teaching skills in reading, writing, mathematics, and other areas of any basic elementary school curriculum New middle or secondary school teachers Must have at least a bachelor's degree and demonstrate competency in each academic subject taught, or complete an academic major or coursework equivalent to a major, a graduate degree, or advanced certification Existing public elementary, middle, and secondary teachers Must have at least a bachelor's degree and meet the requirements described above, or demonstrate competency in all subjects taught "Highly Qualified" and Alternative Licensure As with many other aspects of education, the NCLB regulations raise questions concerning teacher licensure, primarily for veteran or "not new" teachers. How do these regulations affect teachers who were licensed through alternative methods? What do these regulations mean for alternative licensure? States that accept federal Title I funding must comply with NCLB regulations, including those concerning alternative certification for teachers. The United States Department of Education provides two guidelines for alternative certification: one for people who hold a bachelor's degree and want to become a teacher, and one for veteran teachers who may not meet the "highly qualified" requirements. Transition to Teaching One type of alternative certification program allows candidates to teach while they are meeting state certification requirements, with one marked difference from pre-NCLB alternative licensure programs: the programs must provide professional development to teachers. The professional development must be provided before the teacher enters the classroom and while the teacher is teaching. Furthermore, NCLB dictates that mentoring or induction is required for these teachers. Teachers who have met the bachelor's degree and subject matter competency requirements may teach for three years while they earn their state certification. Many alternative state licensing programs fall under the "Transition to Teaching" umbrella that is approved by the federal government, and in certain cases where grants have been applied for and awarded, is partially funded by the federal government. Transition to teaching programs encourages the development and expansion of alternative routes to full state teacher certification. They also promote the recruitment and retention of highly qualified mid-career professionals and recent college graduates who have not majored in education. Methods for Existing Teachers A second type of alternative certification is provided for current teachers who may not meet the "highly qualified" requirements. Current teachers do not have to return to school or take a test in every subject to demonstrate that they meet highly qualified requirements. No Child Left Behind allows states to create an alternative method (High, Objective, Uniform State Standard of Evaluation or HOUSSE) for teachers not new to the field—as determined by each state—to certify they know the subject they teach. States may develop a method for current, multi-subject teachers to demonstrate through one process that they are highly qualified in each of their subjects and maintain the same high standards in subject matter mastery. Teachers who are not new should visit the Education Commission of the States Web page regarding teacher preparation or their respective states' department of education Web site for information about state HOUSSE provisions. National Certification While states are making available both avenues to licensure described above, the American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence makes licensure available on a national level. Passport to Teaching Certification is available to those new to teaching and requires applicants to: Hold a Bachelor's Degree or higher Pass the Professional Teaching Knowledge examination and one of the Subject Area Knowledge examinations Complete a background check Master Teacher Certification is available to veteran teachers and requires applicants to: Hold a Bachelor's Degree or higher Complete a background check Pass the American Board subject matter examination (Elementary Education, English, Mathematics) Provide documented evidence of student academic achievement This article was contributed by Janice Christy, M.Ed., English Department Chair, Louisa County High School, Louisa, Virginia.