Alternate Route to Teacher Certification

The Alternate Route to Teacher Certification (ARC) is an authorized teacher preparation program that was created in 1988 to attract mid-career adults into the teaching profession, particularly in subjects with a shortage of teachers. Individuals who have worked as substitutes, paraprofessionals, or independent school teachers are also encouraged to apply. ARC is conducted by the Connecticut Department of Higher Education.

ARC offers two sessions. ARC I is a nine-week, full-time summer session which runs from June into August. ARC II is a weekend session (Friday evenings and all day Saturdays) on three out of four weekends each month from late October into mid-May. Starting in June 2008, the instructional portion of both sessions will be conducted in Hartford. Both sessions require a student teaching experience as well.

Admission to ARC is competitive and requires a minimum of a bachelor's degree and an academic major in the subject you wish to teach, along with other application criteria. All applicants must have passed the Praxis I examinations or have received a waiver based on past tests such as the SAT or the GRE. To learn more about the Praxis or the waiver or to apply for the waiver, please visit: www.sde.ct.gov/sde/lib/sde/PDF/Cert/certform/ed_192.pdf.

For more information about ARC and the application process, see these resources:

Online ARC catalog - click here
Paper copy of the ARC catalog – request at arc@ctdhe.org.
Online ARC application – click here
Answers to questions or assistance in applying – email arc@ctdhe.org or call the toll-free Education & Employment Information Center Hotline at (800)842-0229.

Please note that ARC accepts online applications only.

Key Dates for 2008-09

ARC I - 2008
January 12, 2008	Praxis II Administration Date (registration deadline is 12/13/07)
January 18, 2008	Application deadline for the ARC I - 2008 Summer Program. All Praxis I PPST and ACTFL OPI exams (if applicable) must be passed by this date to be considered for the summer session.
March 15, 2008	Praxis II Administration Date (registration deadline is 2/14/08)
April 15-18, 2008	ARC I Admissions Notices Mailed
April 25, 2008	Required ARC I Student Orientation (Friday evening from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m.)
April 26, 2008	Praxis II Administration Date (registration deadline is 3/27/08)
May 17, 2008	Job Fair for ARC Students
June 2 - August 8, 2008	ARC I Summer Session (daily from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.)
June 14, 2008	Praxis II Administration Date (registration deadline is 5/15/08)
July 1 - July 31, 2008	Student Teaching Period (required of all students)
July 26, 2008	Praxis II Administration Date (registration deadline is 6/26/08)

ARC II - 2008-09 See Praxis II Administration Dates Listed Above
May 16, 2008	Application deadline for the ARC II - 2008-09 Weekend Program. All Praxis I PPST and ACTFL OPI exams (if applicable) must be passed by this date to be considered for the weekend session.
August 20-22, 2008	ARC II Admissions Notices Mailed
September 26, 2008	Required ARC II Student Orientation (Friday evening from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m.)
October 24, 2008 - May 9, 2009	ARC II - 2008-09 Weekend Program Friday evenings from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. and Saturdays from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.)
March 23 - April 24, 2009	Student Teaching Period (20 full-time student teaching days are required of all ARC students during this period. The exact days of student teaching are dependent on school vacations and religious holidays)

Alternate Route for Early Childhood Education

Charter Oak State College, in cooperation with Eastern Connecticut State University, Mitchell College, Fairfield University, Southern Connecticut State University, St. Joseph College, University of Connecticut, and University of Hartford, will be offering an alternate route to the Connecticut Birth through Five teaching certificate (112 endorsement). This teaching certificate qualifies professionals to work in a variety of settings such as public preschools, Birth to Three Early Intervention services, and public kindergartens. The program is currently pending final approval by the State Department of Higher Education and the State Department of Education on January 2, 2008. The program is targeted to begin February 17, 2008 and complete July 31, 2008.

For more information, go to http://www.charteroak.edu/Prospective/Programs/ece_arc.cfm

Cross Endorsement for School Library Media Specialist

The Advanced Alternative Program for School Library Media Specialists is an innovative and exciting program developed by the Connecticut State Department of Education, approved by the Department of Higher Education, and administered by ACES to attract talented, successful Connecticut teachers to a new teaching career as school library media specialists. The program consists of a school year with activities related to the role and structure of high-quality library media programs and a rigorous, five-week period of intensive, full-time instruction offered only during the summer. Although the program does not carry college course credit, completion of the advanced preparation program results in a cross-endorsement as a school library media specialist, grades Pre-K-12.

Learn more about this alternative program at http://www.aces.k12.ct.us/pdsi/arclms.aspx.

Cross Endorsement as Literacy Specialist in Reading and Language Arts

An advanced alternate program to prepare teachers to become certified as Literacy Specialists in Reading and Language Arts is now offered by Albertus Magnus College. Completers of the program would be eligible for certificate 102 – Remedial Reading/Remedial Language Arts.

For information, go to http://www.albertus.edu/academic/depts/education/literacy-cert.shtml.

Cross Endorsement in Comprehensive Special Education

An advanced alternate route program to prepare already certified teachers for a cross endorsement in comprehensive special education (K-12) is now offered by CREC (the Capitol Region Education Council). The program provides training and practical experience based on national and state competencies for special education leading to the cross certification within a year’s time.

For more information, an application, or program details, go to http://www.crec.org/tabs/index.php.