Sliding into Oblivion?

Many public and private college and university teacher preparation programs across Michigan are facing dramatic declines in the numbers of students. Alternative certification programs have given history and social studies preparation programs stiff competition in recent years. Using Michigan Department of Education data and a survey conducted by the Michigan Council for History Education, this essay explains the history and current status of these developments and provides insights into how Michigan's college and university programs have responded to this market pressure. Competition from alternative certification requires Michigan's public and private teacher preparation programs to provide stronger evidence to potential teachers of their excellence and relevance in teacher preparation.