Alternative Certification

In an effort to address the shortage of certified classroom teachers and in accordance with the provisions of HB 1187, Clayton County Public Schools has submitted and received approval from the Georgia Professional Standards Commission to offer a comprehensive Teacher Alternative Preparation Program (TAPP). Targeting highly qualified college graduates who wish to begin a teaching career while earning clear, renewable Georgia certification, this program is practical, field-based, and designed to develop proficient teachers in a timely and economically feasible manner.  The same rigorous standards as that of a traditional teacher-training program are the foundations for this competency-based program. 

The 1 - 3-year program consists of a minimum of 400 hours of instruction that will include over 100 hours of field-based, individualized instruction from trained mentors and content specialists.  The program of study is based on the research and guiding principles of Charlotte Danielson's Enhancing Professional Practices: A Framework for Teaching, the INTASC Standards, National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, and Georgia Teacher Evaluation Program Criteria for instructional excellence. In addition to formal course study, the candidates will participate in timely, topic-centered classes each semester and will be given opportunities for varied field experiences to ensure exposure to diverse student populations at every level of their certification. Candidates will document progress in a portfolio of their work and exemplary work of their students aligned with Danielson's four domains and twenty-four components Teacher-candidates receiving certification through Clayton County Public Schools' Teacher Academy of Preparation and Pedagogy will receive quality educational instruction, maximum job-embedded support, and will be well-prepared to assist students in becoming life-long learners.

Dr. Gloria Duncan
Coordinator of Professional Learning
S. Truett Cathy Professional Learning Center
Clayton County Public Schools
1087 Battle Creek Road
Jonesboro, GA 30236
770-473-2795