Recruiting Future Science and Mathematics Teachers Into Alternative Certification Programs: Strategies Tried and Lessons Learned

Abstract

SMAR²T: Science and Mathematics Academy for the Recruitment and Retention of Teachers is an NSF-funded project for the alternative certification of science and mathematics teachers. Since 2003, we have recruited 4 cohorts of students for 2 different routes to postbaccalaureate teacher certification for teaching grades 5–12. Because we did not meet our target numbers for the recruitment of the 1st cohort, we examined our recruitment strategies and their effects. In this paper, we discuss strategies used to recruit for the 1st SMAR²T cohort and the outcomes of those strategies. We present ongoing recruitment efforts and data on inquiries and applicants for the 2nd cohort. Finally, we highlight the intentional and unintentional gatekeepers of our program and present implications for others engaged in designing and implementing alternative pathways certification.

Acknowledgment

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. DUE 0202847. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. We presented previous versions of this paper in January 2004 at the Association for the Education of Teachers of Science annual meeting in Nashville, Tennessee, and in March 2004 at the NSF Teacher Preparation PI Conference in Arlington, Virginia. The authors acknowledge the contributions of the other SMAR²T team members, Meera Chandrasekhar, Abdulkadir Demir, Mary Laffey, and Jan Weaver to the creation and implementation of the program.