Phase I of the Dallas ISD Alternative Certification Program is a supplemental pre-cursor to Pre-Service Training that gives applicants intensive subject test preparation that you'll need for state certification. For a fee of $425, the Non-Pre-Admission Content Test (Non-PACT) pathway helps you prepare to earn passing scores on required state exams. Due to the rigor of the state exams, the Non-PACT pathway is only available to select certification areas.

Click here for more information on which certification areas are available through the Non-PACT pathway.

Pro Tip: To get certified, you’ll have to pass one or more exams that evaluate your knowledge of teaching and the subject area(s) you wish to teach. You may see these exams referred to as the Pre-Admissions Content Test (PACT) and the Texas Examinations for Educator Standards (TExES), but they are exactly the same. The different names just refer to when you take the exam: if it’s prior to admission, it’s referred to as the PACT, but otherwise it’s called the TExES. See our Guide to Pre-Admission Content Tests (PACT) & TExES for more details.

Phase II consists of Pre-Service Training designed to develop and equip you with research-based teaching techniques.

Participants who choose the Pre-Admission Content Test (PACT) pathway will skip Phase I of the program and go straight into Phase II. To qualify for the PACT pathway, applicants must take and pass the state subject exam for their desired certification area before being admitted into the Dallas ISD Alternative Certification Program.

After Pre-Service Training, you'll be paired with a Mentor Teacher for an internship experience that helps prepare you for the classroom.

Dallas ISD Alternative Certification is not about helping you serve some students somewhere; it’s about helping you serve students right here in Dallas. You will participate in pre-service training, followed by a year-long internship leading your own classroom in Dallas ISD. Your training will begin with over four weeks of practical, hands-on learning. After you successfully complete the pre-service training program you will be eligible to lead your own Dallas ISD classroom during a paid, one-year teaching internship, where you will be provided additional training and support.

Dallas ISD Alternative Certification wants Dallas students to learn from teachers who share the background and experiences of the community. Those who speak the students’ languages and have an understanding of their backgrounds bring tremendous value to the district—which is why more than half of the teachers Dallas ISD Alternative Certification trains are bilingual. Dallas ISD Alternative Certification provides bilingual teachers with a training experience, and, eventually, a teaching experience, enriched with the joy that comes from serving your community in a personally meaningful way.

Beginning in pre-service training and continuing throughout your internship, Dallas ISD Alternative Certification field-facilitators will be your most critical line of support as you apply skills from training sessions with students in your classroom. All field-facilitators are experienced former teachers with a track record of raising achievement in challenging classrooms. Dallas ISD Alternative Certification field-facilitators will observe you regularly in your classroom, providing real-time guidance to improve your teaching. This rich feedback and personalized support will help you grow quickly into an effective teacher.

Each student in Dallas ISD enters the classroom with their own background and set of experiences that determine their learning experience. The Dallas ISD Alternative Certification program teaches you skills that will give you the confidence to be an effective teacher for every student as soon as you enter the classroom. Dallas ISD Alternative Certification is for those with courage, compassion, and the dedication necessary to prepare students to be college and career ready.