Recruiting and retaining high-quality teachers is a challenge shared by states, districts, and schools nationwide. Approximately 60 percent of new teachers are actually prepared to enter the profession, and of that number, up to half leave it within five years (Hirsch, Koppich, and Knapp 2001). This high teacher turnover rate coupled with increased student enrollment, attrition, and retirement is expected to create a shortage of nearly four million teachers by 2014 (NCES 2003). To address the growing problem, schools are getting creative with solutions, from offering bonus incentives to providing housing assistance and student loan forgiveness.

Since its inception in 1986, the Dallas Independent School District Alternative Certification Program (DISD-ACP) has had great success augmenting Dallas-area teaching staff with thousands of professionals who leave the corporate world for the classroom. "DISD-ACP interns who come from the results-oriented corporate environment have many qualities that are easily transferred to the education field," said Patrick Pulliam, instructional specialist for DISD-ACP. "They're hard-working, creative, and dedicated people who bring valuable experience to the classroom."

About Dallas Independent School District (DISD)
DISD encompasses an area of 351 square miles in the eastern portion of the Dallas-Fort Worth area in Texas. Its 161,972 students come from homes where nearly seventy different languages are spoken. The student body comprises 62.5 percent Hispanic, 31 percent African-American, 5.4 percent Caucasian, 0.9 percent Asian, and 0.2 percent American Indian.

About DISD-ACP
With a department of full-time staff dedicated to reviewing and selecting applicants, DISD-ACP admits only those candidates considered "highly qualified" per No Child Left Behind federal guidelines. In addition to satisfying state exam, core undergraduate coursework, and GPA requirements, applicants must perform well under pressure to gain entry into the competitive program. All prospective interns are required to meet one-on-one with DISD-ACP staff and write impromptu essays on the day of their interview. 

Differentiating itself from other alternative certification programs, DISD-ACP provides personalized support and unique incentives for interns:

Guaranteed teaching position
Upon successful completion of DISD-ACP, all interns are guaranteed a position in the fall. It's a strategy that not only has increased the quantity and quality of the program applicants, but also has strengthened the district staff as a whole. "We select the very best applicants from a talented pool and truly invest in our interns' careers," said Pulliam. "They're a part of our district from day one, and we take great pride in our staff."

Pre-paid internship salary
All applicants who are accepted into DISD-ACP are considered full-time employees and are entitled to the benefits of first-year teachers. Annual salaries begin immediately, and interns receive their first check in June instead of September.

Rigorous summer training
Each candidate must complete eight weeks of intensive summer training before becoming responsible for grading students as a teacher of record. The training covers child and adolescent development, lesson design, effective teaching practices, multicultural education, classroom management, and reading instruction, as well as specialized instruction on the intern's subject of choice. 

Multifaceted teacher support
Committed to providing comprehensive staff support for interns during the training process, DISD-ACP ensures each intern is paired with a paid mentor in the school and meets monthly with a certification specialist to measure progress. If appropriate progress toward certification is not being made, the specialist works with the intern on a strategy to promote success.

New teacher initiatives
To support incoming teachers, the district has also developed a special department, New Teacher Initiatives, which employs instructional coaches to help new teachers with content, technique, and classroom management issues on a daily basis.

Joseph Selvog: DISD-ACP Success Story
Although Joseph Selvog once considered a career in teaching, he majored in business at the University of North Texas and subsequently spent more than six years as a quality assurance specialist at Southwest Airlines. The adoption of his son, Carter, led Selvog away from the office and into the classroom. "Carter was really the seed of change in my life," said Selvog, now a kindergarten teacher at Bayles Elementary School in Dallas. "I always knew deep down inside that I was meant to be a teacher, and he inspired me to pursue my goals."

Selvog thoroughly researched alternative certification programs throughout Texas in preparation for his career change. He set his sights on DISD-ACP because of its reputation, size, and incentive plans, and was accepted into the program in 2004. "I was so excited to start the next phase of my life," said Selvog. "It truly was the realization of a lifelong dream to learn the fundamentals of teaching and get into the classroom." 

Selvog became a teacher of record in August 2004, and was assigned to Bayles Elementary. Working closely with a mentor teacher, instructional specialist Pulliam, and Bayles Elementary Principal Maria Tafur, Selvog sharpened his teaching skills in front of a diverse kindergarten class every day. "It's not easy to walk into a kindergarten classroom and be successful from the beginning, but Joseph managed to do just that," said Tafur. "His business experience helped him teach subjects and solve student behavior issues in such innovative and effective ways."

Selvog followed up a successful year in the classroom by passing both the required Texas Examinations of Educator Standards (TExES) and TExES Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities (PPR) tests. Upon fulfilling all of his internship obligations, the DISD-ACP team recommended him for full certification this August.

Conclusion
The Dallas Independent School District Alternative Certification Program is recognized as one of the best and largest alternative teacher certification programs in Texas. Ninety-nine percent of interns who complete the program become certified teachers, with 90 percent of them passing the TExES exam the first time around. The district's investment in the program has paid off with an influx of talented teachers who are content with their career choice. "Teachers who go through alternative certification are more apt to stay with us long-term," said Pulliam. "College graduates who become teachers may wonder if they'd be happier in the business world, but alternative certification teachers know that world is not for them based on experience. We're happy to give them the tools and support they need to succeed in our district."

References
Hirsch E., J.E. Koppich, and M.S. Knapp. 2001. Revisiting what states are doing to improve the quality of teaching: An update on patterns and trends. Seattle: University of Washington, Center for the Study of Teaching and Policy.

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). 2003. The condition of education (Report). Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Education.