Supporting candidates while in pre-service and beyond will contribute to successful certification. This may include academic and career counseling and can help teacher candidates pass pre-service exams and meet other certification requirements, ultimately increasing the number of certified teachers of color.

• Involve current students and recent graduates in identifying areas of need and how to address those needs.
• Support program completers to successfully pass licensure exams even after they are no longer paying tuition.
• Provide comprehensive supports including tutoring, academic support, and career planning and placement services.

National Education Association, NEA and Teacher Recruitment: An Overview

EducationWeek Teacher: Can These 11 States make Their Teaching Forces More Diverse by 2040?

ETS, Toward Increasing Teacher Diversity: Targeting Support and Intervention for Teacher Licensure Candidates

Clark Atlanta University, The relationship of academic and personality factors on the PRAXIS I pass rates at selected Historically Black Colleges and Universities in Georgia

• Promote the teaching profession by highlighting the work of current teachers
• Explicitly showcase the need for a more diverse educator workforce
• Provide information about multiple pathways to becoming a teacher

As of March 2019, TEACH Connecticut has partnered with 15 educator preparation programs and 66 school districts. Most partners have descriptive profiles on the site for users to gain a deeper understanding of pathways to certification and the variety of educational communities available for teachers to serve Connecticut's students.

• Design and propose high quality alternate route to certification programs for approval by the Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE).
• Ensure candidates gain sufficient classroom experience before becoming certified.
• Utilize data to determine workforce needs to support rationale for new ARCs.
• Focus recruitment efforts on candidates of color with the promise of support throughout the duration of the program.

Educator Preparation Programs - Traditional and Alternate Route

• 1988 - Present
• Created as part of the Education Enhancement Act of 1986

The Relay Connecticut Alternate Route to Certification (ARC) Program is an innovative and rigorous educator preparation program that offers a unique and powerful residency model for aspiring teachers to begin a long-term career in the classroom. It is a part-time, one-year alternate route certification program designed for non-certified school community members who are seeking certification in Connecticut. Candidates who successfully complete the program are eligible for a Connecticut Temporary 90 Day Certificate, and, upon successful completion of 90 days of teaching, will earn a Connecticut Initial Educator Certificate.

• Projected 2018-2019 enrollment: 80
• In the 2018-2019 school year, Relay expects to serve more than 5,000 current and aspiring teachers across 18 campuses and 1,200 school leaders nationwide. In total, Relay students will impact an estimated 400,000 PK-12 students. Comparatively, Relay's launch year in 2011 served 400 teachers in New York and New Jersey.

• 2011 - Present 

• Dean of Relay CT: Rebecca Good
• Relay has leadership across several states in addition to CT, including CA, CO, DC, DE, GA, IL, LA, NJ, NY, PA, TX, and TN

• 70% of Relay's teaching residents identify as people of color.
• Of those who completed a Relay teacher preparation program over the past six years, more than two-thirds are working as teachers and teacher leaders in PK-12 classrooms.

CT TFA corps members join a network of over 700 alumni who work toward educational equity in education, health, public policy, law, and other sectors.

• 2006-present

Tuition for 2018-19:

• Certification only- $8,300
• Master's Degree- $23,000
• TFA corps members are also Americorps members and are eligible to receive an education award after successfully completing each year of teaching.

The Teacher Certification Program for College Graduates is a part of the University of Connecticut’s Neag School of Education. Programs operate out of three regional campuses: Avery Point, Downtown Hartford, and Waterbury. Candidates in the program earn Connecticut Teacher Certification and an MA in Curriculum and Instruction or Educational Psychology (Special Education students)

• TCPCG is an 11-month accelerated program.
• TCPCG is a full-time program; no part-time options are available.
• New cohorts begin every summer at all three campuses.
• The program involves four consecutive semesters of coursework: Summer Session I, Summer Session II, Fall Semester, & Spring Semester

• 2016 report shows the majority of incoming student teachers were Caucasian (89%) and female (82%).
• The most common intended field of study among the student teachers was elementary education (33%), followed by English/language arts (12%) and biology (5%).

To be considered for the program, applicants must meet the following minimum requirements:

• Have completed a bachelor's degree in any subject area.
• Have 15 credits in human growth and development (needed prior to certification approval).
• Meet Connecticut's Assessment Requirements for Certification, specifically Endorsement #112
• Sign up to take the PRAXIS 1 test with ETS.
• Have attained a 3.0 cumulative GPA. Students with GPAs between 2.7 and 3.0 may petition in writing to the ARC Director for consideration of a waiver based on a history of exceptional professional experience.
• Have verified full-time experience as an early childhood educator (with children ages birth through five) or as a home visitor providing educational services to families with children between the ages of birth to five.
• College transcripts for undergraduate and graduate work sent directly to Charter Oak State College by all institutions in sealed envelopes. If transcripts are sent to you and are in sealed envelopes, you may submit the sealed envelopes to ARC.
• Two professional references.

• Cohorts begin each August 1 and January 2.

• Applications are accepted throughout the year.

Tuition for the next cohort of the program is $6995 with a $300 portfolio fee paid to Pearson.

Liberal payment plans are available.

• Provide sufficient financial support to candidates through the certification process.This may involve covering the cost of exams and study guides as well as providing candidates with additional stipends so they can afford to take time off work to prepare for licensure exams.

Office of Higher Education Financial Supports/Grant Programs