The Rhode Island Teaching Fellows is an alternate route to teacher certification program that moves at a demanding, accelerated pace.  Fellows need to be prepared for a rigorous year during which they will hold themselves to the very high expectations of the program.

Here is an overview of the steps for a Fellow from Enrollment to Certification

Enrollment

• Within two weeks of an interview event, candidates are notified whether or not they are invited to enroll as a Teaching Fellow
• Candidates have approximately three weeks (timeline and deadlines will vary) to decide if they will enroll.  If a candidate determines that the rigor of our program is right for them, they will enroll and become a Teaching Fellow.

Summer Training Institute

• Fellows will begin their training institute in the summer of 2010.  Training will begin in early July (start date to be determined) and run for about 6 weeks.
• The intense training institute is a full-time commitment, five days a week from 8:00am until about 6:00pm for approximately 6 weeks.  During training institute, Fellows spend their mornings practice teaching at a public summer school in RI and spend their afternoons attending framework sessions with other Fellows (refer to Summer Training Institute for more information about Summer Institute).  The training institute is highly demanding and rigorous.  Fellows must successfully complete the training institute in order to be considered highly qualified and move forward with the RITF certification process    - Note: there is no cost to the summer training institute.  Upon successful completion of the summer training institute fellows will receive a pre-tax stipend of $2,000.
• Once a Fellow has secured a teaching position, he/she will be eligible to receive an ACPC (alternative certification program certificate).  This is the certification that Fellows use during their first year of teaching, which indicates their highly qualified status, while they are seeking their full professional certification.

Begin Teaching & Certification

• Throughout the summer Fellows will seek a full-time teaching position in a RI public school that has partnered with RITF.  Fellows will be responsible for securing their teaching position but will also be supported by RITF program staff.  In 2009, 100% of our Fellows secured teaching positions by the end of September.  Please refer to Securing Your Teaching Position for more information.
• Fellows who secure a position will begin teaching in the Fall of 2010 in a full-time position in their subject area, for which they will be highly qualified.  Fellows begin teaching at the step 1 salary, which the same as all first year teachers. 
• During their first year teaching Fellows also attend content seminars in their subject area.  These seminars are held in evenings about every other week and are streamlined for working teachers.  The seminars are taught by master teachers in the subject that the Fellow teaches.  - Note: the seminar series that is required to receive full certification has   a cost of $6,000 to be paid during the year.  For more information refer to

Full Professional Certification

Upon the successful completion of the content seminars in the Spring of 2011 Fellows will receive their full professional certification for the state of Rhode Island.  Fellows will then be certified just as every other certified teacher in the state.