As community colleges begin to emerge as a solution to the teacher quality and shortage issue, NACCTEP has created this pamphlet attempting to dispel any misperceptions individuals may have about the community college role in teacher education. 10 Myths & Realities About Community College Teacher Education Programs can be used as an informational tool for future educators, current K-12 educators, NACCTEP members and partner organizations.

1. Community Colleges do not play a role in the preparation of teachers.

Community colleges have always played a critical role in teacher preparation by providing the foundation for upper division coursework. In recent years, community colleges have expanded their programs in the field of teacher education to provide additional options for preparing future teachers. In addition to offering the first two years of requirements for a baccalaureate degree, community colleges have added coordinated programs for transfer, new certificate and associate degree programs, and augmented support services, all of which have increased student access to and completion of teacher preparation programs. Community colleges have the capacity to increase the diversity of the teaching force. Source: Teaching by Choice: Community College Science and Mathematics Preparation of K-12 Teachers, The Status of Teacher Education in Community Colleges

2. Community college teacher education programs have been in existence for only a few years.

While many community colleges have just recently started teacher education programs, some programs have been around for a decade or more – providing a foundation for new and developing programs and making use of technology, student experience and content knowledge. Source: American Association of Community Colleges

3. Community college faculty do not have adequate academic preparation or backgrounds to teach future teachers.

Community college faculty are represented at each degree level. In 1997, nearly two-thirds of full-time faculty in public community colleges had a master's degree and about one-fifth a doctoral degree. Some community colleges have moved to hiring teachers with K-12 experience.

As long as the community college continues to provide a variety of educational services, including developmental, collegiate, vocational, and community education, the academic backgrounds of the faculty are likely to continue to span the entire educational and vocational spectrum. Community college faculty are primarily rewarded for the quality of the teaching and learning in their classrooms, rather than for research and publishing. They are experts in the teaching and learning process.
Source: American Association of Community Colleges, Paper: Public Community College Faculty

4. Teacher preparation in the community college is less rigorous than in four-year colleges, and therefore community colleges prepare less qualified teachers.

Students who transfer from community colleges to four-year institutions perform academically at the same level as students who began at the four-year campuses. Faculty at four-year institutions report that education transfer students are often better prepared than those who started as freshmen, in part because their community college preparation gave them direct pre-service experience. Source: Recruiting New Teachers Study: Tapping Potential: Community College Students and America's Teacher Recruitment Challenge

5. Community colleges do not have adequate technology to prepare
future teachers.

Community colleges have the ability to respond to the learning needs of the non-traditional student through technological advancements such as distance education and hybrid courses (in which some of the classroom time is replaced by technology-delivered content). Community colleges have multiple ways of delivering instruction and services to students through course management systems, database services, library systems and online help desks. Additionally, teacher education students at many community colleges are now utilizing electronic portfolios for their classroom experiences. Content specific faculty are working with teacher education faculty to offer core curriculum infused with real time data using technology as an instructional tool. Source: Campus Technology Magazine

6. Community colleges are not allowed to grant teaching certificates or degrees in education.

Many community colleges are offering some form of an Associate of Arts in Teaching (AAT). While most community college programs provide only the first two years of a four- or five-year teacher preparation program, some states are allowing community colleges to offer the full certification program to meet critical shortages. In addition, some colleges and universities are offering their teacher preparation program on community college campuses.

The community college baccalaureate has developed in response to increased demands for higher education, combined with cost and capacity concerns associated with four-year institutions. As of July 2005, eight states (Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, Texas, Indiana, Florida, Vermont, and Hawaii) formally offer at least one baccalaureate degree at a community college. Two community colleges in Arkansas and Louisiana also offered the baccalaureate but have since transitioned from a two-year to a four-year institution. Source: The Center for Community College Policy, Community College Baccalaureate Association

7. Only a very small percentage of teacher education students attend community colleges.

Studies have shown more than 50% of teachers attended a community college for at least part of their education. As of 2002, roughly 20% of teachers began their careers in community college. It is estimated that four out of ten teachers in the U.S. have completed some or all of their math and science coursework at a community college.
Source: Recruiting New Teachers, Investing in Tomorrow’s Teachers: The Integral Role of Two-Year Colleges in the Science and Mathematics Preparation of Prospective Teachers

8. Teacher education programs at the community college do not transfer to four-year institutions.

Twenty-three states have developed statewide general education common core curricula in which a student who has completed an associate degree or a predetermined transfer block of courses at one institution within the state is considered to have fulfilled comparable lower-division general education requirements at the receiving college or university, even if requirements differ.At least 17 states have adopted statewide common course numbering systems for academic courses with comparable content at two- and four-year institutions. Another related emerging practice that eases student movement involves joint admissions programs. In this arrangement, a community college student who ultimately intends to transfer is accepted concurrently at the community college and the partnering university. Evolving from traditional 2+2 programs are associate degree programs such as the Associate of Arts in Teaching (AAT). These programs negotiate a single set of standards and courses in teacher education that are articulated among participating public and private two- and four-year institutions statewide. Source: The Center for Community College Policy

9. Future teachers cannot complete their post-baccalaureate education at a community college.

Some community colleges provide pathways for individuals who already have bachelor's degrees in another profession to switch careers and become certified as teachers. These programs help to recruit mid-career professionals, who have been laid off or are considering a career change, into the teaching profession.In 2005, 47 states and the District of Columbia report they have at least one type of alternate route to teacher certification. Overall, 122 alternative routes to teacher certification now exist in these 47 states. In addition, these states identify 619 sites within their states that offer alternative teacher certification programs. Source: National Center for Alternative Certification

10. Community colleges do not offer in-service or professional development courses or programs for current teachers.

Combined with its geographic accessibility and affordability, community colleges play an enhanced role in teacher in-service or professional development by offering focused courses that boost teacher competency in areas related to education reform efforts, especially in math and science. Community colleges also develop agreements with local school districts to provide technology training for teachers and offer courses, workshops and institutes that enhance teacher competency in math and science. Collaborative professional development with K-12 school districts, universities, and intermediate school districts often involve community colleges. Various models of collaboration occur within community colleges in the U.S.
Source: Education Commission of the States