Start Where You Can: Building the Case for Residencies in a State Flagship University

• In Event: Within Reach: A State Transformation Toward Universal, Paid, Sustainable Teacher Residencies in New Mexico

Abstract

Objectives: This and the following presentation both focus on the tales of transformation across multiple teacher preparation programs within institutions of higher education.
This presentation shares the origins, development, and ultimate spread of a small, powerful teacher residency partnership into a model that the university now seeks to shift all preparation programs, including principal preparation, towards. The original pilot began as a district/union/university partnership because the district had become convinced of the positive impact of a financial investment in residencies, including a positive impact on the budget that human resources found itself expending on turnover (Dennis & DeMoss, 2021). For several years, a 15-20 person cohort of residents was supported through district investments, and the model was co-designed with active weekly participation from all the partners. This program and research on its outcomes served as the initial model for the state’s investment. The university now has nearly 100 residents a year.
Framework: District leadership viewed a root cause of teacher labor market challenges as stemming from the fact that most aspiring teachers cannot work for free to become licensed, so they forego teaching as a career, or they enter the profession underprepared through teacher-of-record pathways. Because high-quality, paid teacher residencies are designed with labor market match needs in mind, they can address a root cause of three critical needs for the nation: teacher turnover, diversity, and equitable access to fully credentialed teachers.
Modes of inquiry/Evidence: This portion of the symposium draws on case study approaches to chart the development of the initial residency partnership and the spread of the model throughout the college. The partnership program has an external evaluation that informs this portion of the symposium. In addition, it has won national accolades and the resources documenting its development and spread are source materials. Formal interviews and reflective insights from leaders are also part of the evidence base.
Warrants: The district’s desire for high-quality preparation which produced strong novice teachers allowed the residency partnership to focus on the long-term goals for preparation rather than simply fill immediate needs, helping establish the proof point for strong residency impacts. Committing to doing what is possible with existing resources can facilitate more substantial shifts over time. Even larger, less centralized licensure efforts in institutions of higher education can come together to embrace positive changes in longstanding program models.
Significance: A common challenge for deans of education at larger regional or research institutions is facilitating discussions about new structures across what are often siloed programs within their institutions. Real differences in accreditation and licensure requirements often exist, as do differences across faculty—often tenured faculty—in terms of what they believe is possible and desirable. Providing a roadmap for how one institution navigated these challenges can help promote changes in this critical part of the preparation ecosystem.

Author

• Marjori M. Krebs, University of New Mexico