THE RESIDENCY MODEL
"Teacher residency programs are, by definition, district-serving teacher education programs that pair a rigorous full-year classroom apprenticeship with masters-level education content. Building on the medical residency model, teacher preparation programs provide Residents with both the underlying theory of effective teaching and a year-long, in-school “residency” in which they practice and hone their skills and knowledge alongside an effective teacher-mentor in a high-need classroom. New teacher Residents receive stipends as they learn to teach, and commit to teaching in their districts for three or more years beyond the residency."
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-National Center for Teacher Residencies
RESIDENCY PROGRAM DESIGN
Residents
Through a highly personalized recruitment process, NTR attracts a diverse group of talented college graduates, career changers, and community members. This targeted effort is driven by the unique needs and goals of our school and district partners, particularly in high-need areas such as Math, English Language Arts, and Science. In particular, we seek to recruit a cohort representative of the students in our communities, therefore each year, we strive to have a cohort with 70'% or more Residents of Color. This priority is grounded in our organization's belief, supported by research, that having a teacher of Color can profoundly impact the educational pathways of all students, especially those who have been underrepresented.
Mentor Teachers
Simultaneously, NTR selects a cohort of experienced teachers within our Partner Schools to partner with Residents and support for the duration of the school year. These expert teachers offer Residents a living, breathing model for success in a high-need classroom and provide supportive spaces for our Residents to practice. NTR provides regular support to Mentor Teachers to ensure they have the time, resources, and coaching skills necessary to lead the development of an emerging teacher.
Site Managers
Supporting our Residents, Mentor Teachers, and school communities are key to the success of our program; therefore, we assign a Site Manager to each Partner School. A Site Manager is an NTR team member who is on campus at least two times a week to support the development of both the Resident and the Mentor Teacher. Site Managers also work with school leadership teams to ensure that our Residents and programming are meeting the needs of their school.
THE RESIDENCY YEAR
Training in Cohorts
Residents train as part of a cohort — a peer group that provides ongoing support and collaborative learning throughout the residency year and beyond. At the beginning of the school year, Residents are placed in schools for their residency year. We collaborate with partner schools to advocate for multiple Residents at each school site so Residents have the cohort experience within their school building, as well as within our program. Residents complete their coursework as a cohort.
A Yearlong Classroom Experience
Residents work full time as paid employees of one of our Partner Schools, developing their content knowledge and teaching skills under the guidance of an experienced Mentor Teacher for at least three hours a day and contributing to their school community in other ways for the remainder of the school day, usually as an educational assistant or paraprofessional. Using a variety of coaching strategies, Mentors provide valuable insight into effective teaching methodology, helping Residents develop the knowledge, skills, and habits of mind that come from years of experience in high-need classrooms. Over the course of the year, Residents move from a collaborative, co-teaching role in the classroom to an increasingly demanding, lead-teaching role. Mentors continuously gather data about Residentprogress to provide targeted support and feedback to ensure Residents are prepared to be effective on day one when they enter their own classroom.
During the residency year, Residents take the edTPA and state licensure examinations (paid for by NTR) after preparing with NTR to master the content. At the end of the year, Residents are hired by schools, with the vast majority of them continuing to teach at the school where they completed their residency year. In January of the following year, only if they are licensed and employed as teachers, residents begin paying a deferred $7,000 tuition to NTR.
Linking Theory to Practice
In addition to their hands-on work in the classroom, Residents attend twice-weekly classes on Tuesday and Thursday evenings where they engage in education coursework designed to inform and enrich the residency experience. This deep blend of theory and practice makes the residency model a unique route into teaching, helping participants draw meaningful connections between their daily classroom work and the latest in education theory and research.
