The state is expanding opportunities this fall for prospective teachers to earn teaching licenses as part of a push to open new pathways to the profession and to address chronic shortage areas.

The state Department of Education has partnered with two entities — Teach for America and the University of Hawaii — to bring in as many as 200 unlicensed teachers in each of the next two school years. The teachers will earn their credentials on the job.

The $2.2 million project, which is being funded by Hawaii’s federal Race to the Top grant, is seen as a way to bring people of diverse backgrounds and skill sets into the classroom.

Alex Harris, DOE portfolio manager, said the programs are an "alternative recruitment strategy," producing a minority of the 800 to 1,000 teachers expected to be hired for the next school year.

"It’s a really interesting test case," he said.

At the same time, the Hawaii Teachers Standards Board is considering adopting a new assessment that could allow private school teachers with years of experience to get a Hawaii teaching license — so they can teach in public schools — without having attended a teacher education program.

The board could approve the new test as early as this fall.

Nationally, states are beefing up alternative certification programs to address an expected increase in retirements over the next decade and address shortages in such areas as math.

In Hawaii, the unlicensed teachers will also fill spots in hard-to-staff schools, such as in Waianae and other rural areas.

Teach for America, or TFA, will provide the state with about 100 new teachers, about 20 of whom will be placed in charter schools. The organization has been in Hawaii since 2006, and has historically brought in about 50 to 60 new teacher recruits each year.

TFA teachers must commit to two years, but many stay longer.

The competitive national program recruits top-notch, mostly young applicants to teach in public schools. Jill Baldemor, executive director of Teach for America-Hawaii, said for the next school year she’s looking to boost the number of Hawaii applicants.

She also said while many TFA teachers are recent college graduates, a growing number are mid-career professionals looking for a new challenge or seeking to fulfill a dream of giving back.

"We have no limitations on who can apply," she said.

Meanwhile, the University of Hawaii plans to place about 80 unlicensed special education teachers in hard-to-staff schools. The teachers will work toward teacher licensure on the job over 18 months as part of a post-baccalaureate certificate program.

Harris, of the DOE, said both programs will offer extensive mentoring and coaching, in line with broader work to give new teachers lots of support during their first two years of teaching.