IteachTEXAS

iteachTEXAS is the first private alternative certification program based on distance learning to be approved by the Texas State Board for Educator Certification. The concept was developed by individuals associated with teacher preparation at a state university who heard not only the concerns of area school districts as they prepared to meet the challenges of the No Child Left Behind Act, but also the frustrations of undergraduate and graduate students who struggled to meet the demands and confines of traditional educator preparation programs. iteachTEXAS launched in 2003 and within three years had become one of the state’s largest providers of initially certified teachers. This success can be attributed to the fluid combination of highly effective personnel, focused pedagogical curricula, supportive classroom mentoring and outstanding service to school districts. iteachTEXAS applied to the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) in 2007 as the first private alternative certification program to seek national accreditation. At its April 2008 meeting, the Unit Accreditation Board of NCATE accepted iteachTEXAS as a formal candidate for accreditation. The NCATE site visit for iteachTEXAS is planned for spring 2010.