Expedited Educator Preparation Programs

Under administrative rule R 390.1153 (Rule 53) of the Teacher Certification Code, an Educator Preparation Provider (EPP) may request experimental status by seeking waivers of specific components of the Teacher Certification Code. Several Michigan EPPs have taken advantage of this rule to develop expedited teacher preparation programs for candidates seeking to become Michigan teachers.

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World Language

Eastern Michigan University currently offers expedited world language teacher preparation programs targeted to native or already fluent speakers in Chinese, Arabic, and Other world languages, such as Korean, for which Michigan does not offer a specific endorsement. Michigan State University offers similar programs in Chinese and Spanish.

These programs waive the portions of R 390.1123 that require completion of a program of study in the discipline area of an endorsable field based on appropriately documented proficiency and assessment results (specifically, R 390.1123(1)(c)(ii)(A-B) and R 390.1123(1)(c)(iii)(A)). Candidates in these programs must meet all other requirements for certification, including pedagogical coursework and field experiences.
English as a Second Language

Western Michigan University’s expedited Master of Arts program in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages recruits uniquely qualified candidates with a bachelor’s degree who wish to earn an initial Standard Teaching Certificate with the PK-12 English as a Second Language (NS) endorsement.

The experimental nature of this program involves waiving the program requirement to pair the English as a Second Language (NS) endorsement program with a general education content area, as established in Michigan’s Standards for the Preparation of Teachers of English as a Second Language. Candidates must fulfill the clinical experience requirements and professional sequence coursework as established in R 390.1123(1)(a) of the Teacher Certification Code.
Special Education

Expedited teacher preparation programs for prospective teachers in special education waive R. 390.1123 (1)(b) requiring “supervised directed teaching in a general education content area” and expand special education student teaching, providing an expedited preparation program for individuals to earn standalone special education endorsements on Michigan teaching certificates.

Alma College offers expedited programs in learning disabilities, cognitive impairment, and emotional impairment at the bachelor’s level.

Calvin University offers a cognitive impairment expedited program at the bachelor’s level and for post-bachelor’s candidates.

Central Michigan University’s program is offered at the bachelor’s or master’s level for individuals seeking a career in teaching with K-12 endorsements in autism spectrum disorder, cognitive impairment or learning disabilities on a Michigan teaching certificate.

Eastern Michigan University’s programs offer bachelor’s level site-based preparation for K-12 learning disabilities, cognitive impairment, and emotional impairment endorsements within the Washtenaw Intermediate School District.

Ferris State University offers expedited programs in autism spectrum disorder, cognitive impairment, emotional impairment, and learning disabilities at the bachelor’s and master’s level.

Oakland University’s graduate programs are designed for individuals who hold a bachelor’s degree and are now seeking a career in teaching with a K-12 learning disabilities or K-12 emotional impairment endorsement on a teaching certificate.

Northern Michigan University’s K-12 learning disabilities graduate program is designed for instructional aides and other school employees who hold a bachelor’s degree in any field and have substantive connections to populations of students with disabilities.

Siena Heights University offers expedited programs in cognitive impairment and learning disabilities at the bachelor’s and master’s level.

Western Michigan University’s program is an expedited Master of Arts program that seeks to recruit a diverse population of individuals that have a bachelor's degree who wish to earn a K-12 autism spectrum disorder, K-12 emotional impairment, or K-12 learning disabilities endorsement.
Library/Media

Wayne State University currently offers an expedited School Librarian and Media Specialist preparation program, in which currently certified teachers may earn a Library/Media endorsement outside of a Master of Library and Information Science degree. This program waives R 390.1129, which requires a minimum of 20 semester hours for additional endorsement programs.
Non-Residency Expedited Programs

Calvin College offers a Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program for individuals with bachelor's degrees in certifiable content areas at the middle and high school levels. MAT candidates complete a full-time, on-campus program that results in a master's degree and teacher certification in 12 months."

Concordia University – Ann Arbor offers an expedited post-baccalaureate preparation program for individuals with bachelor’s or higher degrees who are interested in earning teacher certification in Lower Elementary (PK-3), Upper Elementary (3-6), English, Integrated Science, Mathematics, Social Studies, Music, Health/Physical Education, or English as a Second Language. This program waives the portions of R 390.1123 that require completion of a program of study in these discipline areas to allow candidates to demonstrate discipline area knowledge by passage of the Michigan Test for Teacher Certification. Qualifying candidates complete 20 semester hours of professional education coursework and a student teaching experience to earn a Michigan Standard Teaching Certificate.
Residency Programs
EPPs operating on a residency model integrate teacher preparation with the PK-12 system through yearlong clinical practice that marries rigorous academic training and clinical training to better prepare teachers to impact student learning from day one. Teacher candidates work with mentor teachers and benefit from consistent coaching, mentoring, and feedback about their practice. With a valid substitute permit, residents either serve as the teacher of record for a classroom or co-teach with a mentor teacher while taking coursework to qualify for a Michigan Standard Teaching Certificate. These programs typically waive the portions of R 390.1123 that require completion of a program of study in a discipline area if the resident has a bachelor’s degree and/or prior coursework equivalent to a major or minor in an endorsable field (specifically, R390.1123(1)(c)(ii)(A-B) and R 390.1123(1)(c)(iii)(A)). They also typically waive R390.1123(1)(b)(ii), which requires a minimum of 12 weeks of supervised, directed teaching (i.e., student teaching).

Aquinas College offers AME (Accelerated M.Ed.), a residency program in partnership with Grand Rapids area schools and the Diocese of Grand Rapids. In this program, qualified candidates complete certification coursework while serving as a teacher of record or a teacher’s aide in a partner school. They may also complete additional coursework to earn a master’s degree.

Central Michigan University offers Pathways, a two-year program in collaboration with partner PK-12 schools and districts in which candidates with earned bachelor’s degrees are able to complete a program of study to earn a Standard Teaching Certificate while teaching, serving as a long-term substitute, or co-teaching alongside a highly effective mentor teacher. The program combines university coursework, focused professional learning on the Core Teaching Practices, and immersion experiences in local communities.

Grand Valley State University, in collaboration with the West Michigan Teacher Collaborative, offers an expedited master's degree pathway for individuals with earned bachelor's degrees to earn Standard Teaching Certificates in secondary discipline areas through completion of professional coursework while serving as substitutes, paraprofessionals, and teachers of record in partner schools.

Northern Michigan University offers STEP UP (Secondary Teacher Education Program for the Upper Peninsula), a path toward earning a Standard Teaching Certificate for paraprofessionals and non-certificated, full-time substitute teachers who serve as teachers of record in rural Upper Peninsula schools.

Saginaw Valley State University offers an Accelerated Certification with Residency (ACR) program that operates on a model similar to STEP UP for candidates seeking Standard Teaching Certificates at the Secondary and Elementary level.

Spring Arbor University offers PACT (Post-Bachelors Accelerated Certification to Teach), a one year program in which candidates earned bachelor’s degrees and demonstrated mastery of content knowledge for teaching elementary education through passing scores on the Elementary Education Michigan Test for Teacher Certification (MTTC #103) are able to complete a program of study to earn a Standard Teaching Certificate while teaching. The program is designed to support paraprofessionals working in schools, non-certified teachers in private schools, and candidates from rural and urban areas in earning a Standard Teaching Certificate.

Wayne State University offers TeachDetroit, for undergraduates who co-teach with certified teachers in Detroit-area schools. The program weaves together multiple program components into an accelerated clinically-centered teacher preparation experience for prospective teachers of Elementary Education.

Western Michigan University offers a Master of Arts in Teaching in Elementary Education in which candidates with earned bachelor’s degrees and demonstrated mastery of content knowledge for teaching elementary education through passing scores on the Elementary Education Michigan Test for Teacher Certification (MTTC #103) are able to complete an expedited program of study to earn a Standard Teaching Certificate. The program is designed to prepare qualified candidates working in Kalamazoo Public Schools (KPS) as paraprofessionals to become certified teachers, although the program is not restricted to candidates working in KPS.

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