Reimagining and Transforming Teacher Education Through Residencies

• In Event: Reenvisioning Teacher Education Policy and Programs to Construct Educational Possibilities

Abstract

Teacher preparation programs nationwide aim to recruit and graduate more diverse cohorts of well-prepared teachers into the PK-12 school workforce. Although we know that holistic supports (e.g., financial aid, loan forgiveness, mentorship) bolster BIPOC candidate retention, there is less scholarship on how teacher preparation program leaders adopt changes to transform both the pre-service experience and entrance into the teaching profession more welcoming and equitable. We conducted a multiple-case study of five teacher residencies that dismantled some barriers to workforce diversity. Best practices adopted at these sites included explicitly aligning their application process, coursework, and learning goals to their organization-wide commitment to social justice; honoring residents’ requests for clinical placement; and providing professional development for cooperating (mentor) teachers.

Authors

• Tomoko M. Nakajima, University of California - Los Angeles

• Julie Fitz, Learning Policy Institute

• Cathy Yun, Learning Policy Institute

• Christopher Mauerman, Stanford University