Inquiry-Based Practice as a Driver for Effective Teacher Preparation in an Urban Teacher Residency

• In Event: Approaches of Collaboration and Inquiry in Teacher Education

Abstract

New Visions for Public Schools and Hunter College created the Urban Teacher Residency (UTR) to improve student achievement and teacher retention by strengthening teacher preparation. The yearlong apprenticeship and master’s degree program prioritizes clinical learning and reflective, data-driven practice, developing residents’ ability to use inquiry to drive instruction while providing ongoing feedback through rigorous performance-based assessments. Evaluation results indicate positive impacts, including a 96% overall retention rate, with 87% in NYC high-needs schools. In a series of matched comparisons, students taught by UTR-trained teachers performed better than peers taught by non-UTR teachers on NY State Regents exams in 76% of the comparisons. These findings validate partners’ alignment around inquiry and a performance-based assessment system to support novice teachers.

Authors

• Marisa Harford, New Visions for Public Schools

• Roberta Trachtman, New Visions for Public Schools

• Kay Sloan, Rockman et al

• Sherryl B. Graves, Hunter College School of Education