California Teacher Residency Evaluation: Comprehensive Findings From Across Seven Residency Programs

• In Event: Teacher Residencies in California: Addressing Inequities and Promoting Change in Education in Rural and Urban Areas

Abstract

In this paper, the authors who work for a non-profit evaluation agency describe the methods used to study seven teacher residencies in California. Objectives include:
1.Share methods for evaluating teacher residencies in California, including formative and summative assessment
2. Present major themes from our evaluations of 7 different teacher residencies, including findings specific to residency implementation during the COVID-19 pandemic
3. Discuss common recommendations made to improve residency implementation and outcomes

Perspective/Methods: Evaluating teacher residency implementation and outcomes is key to ensure programs are meeting the goal of preparing high-quality educators. Whether the evaluation is conducted internally or externally, a study of implementation that contributes to continuous improvement and the development of key metrics to assess progress are part of the framework for residency implementation (Urban Teacher Residency United, 2014; NCTR, 2019).

Data sources for this study included:
- Surveys of residents (mid-year and end-of-year), cooperating teacher mentors, principals, program graduates
- Focus groups with residents, cooperating teacher mentors, and graduates
- Interviews with residency leadership among the partner organizations, faculty at the IHEs, principals at the LEAs
- Program data related to recruitment, resident demographics, content areas, certification, placement/hiring, and teacher retention

Results: In alignment with the literature on teacher residencies, our evaluations have consistently found that, compared to the local traditional teacher preparation programs, teacher residencies are able to recruit and prepare more candidates of color, provide more effective/extensive preparation in the partner district co teaching with an experienced mentor, and retain teachers in the profession. By spending a full year at one school site, graduates of residency programs highlight the connections they made with the students, parents and the community, contributing to feelings of belonging and a desire to stay in that community. Principals see a clear distinction between teachers prepared through traditional teacher preparation programs and teacher residencies, and often compete with other principals in the district to hire the residents. Residents and graduates also consistently point to the cohort model and support from peers as contributing factors to their success both in their programs and in their own classrooms after completion.

Significance:Given the increasing teacher shortage and teacher turnover, especially in hard to staff areas, more states and districts are turning to teacher residencies as a way to improve the local pipeline of high-quality educators (Carver-Thomas, et al., 2020; Carver-Thomas & Darling-Hammond, 2017). But not all residencies are the same, not all residencies abide by a common framework for implementation, and not all see the same promising results. Evaluation then becomes vital to track implementation and offer suggestions to make mid-course corrections that may lead to improved outcomes(Urban Teacher Residency United, 2014; NCTR, 2019).

Authors

• Jaclyn J. Tejwani, WestEd
  Presenting Author

• Selena Cartznes, WestEd
  Presenting Author

• Eric Ambroso, Ambroso Research & Evaluation
  Presenting Author