Getting REAL

To fill the void of teachers in high-need areas, Texas Tech is collaborating with Lubbock high schools to develop an alternative teacher certification program.

Project REAL (Recruiting Educators through Alternative Licensure) offers graduates with a degree or minor in a subject other than education the opportunity to earn teacher certification. Students participating in Project REAL attend university classes and then spend time assisting Lubbock and Estacado High School teachers in the classroom. The students get a versatile experience, rotating high schools each day.

The main goal of the program, conducted through the College of Education, is to find secondary level teachers for high-need subject areas, such as math, science and English, says Sarah McMahan, a graduate assistant working with Project REAL. In order to be eligible, students need a degree or minor in any of these areas. The program lasts one year to 18 months, depending on whether the student chooses to student teach or intern.

“Many people do not have any experience in an education setting until they get into student teaching,” McMahan says. “Our approach provides university students with hands-on, field-orientated experience. It will better prepare students for possible future careers.”

The program is funded by a five year grant provided by the Department of Education in Washington D.C. The grant enables Project REAL to provide the students with textbooks, pay for their certification exams and also give students who have finished the program and are entering their first year of teaching a $500 bonus to offset the cost of classroom supplies. 

“There is a high turnover rate in teachers,” says McMahan. “We’re trying to prepare students for the realities of teaching, so they will remain in the field even when faced with teaching difficulties.”