Partnership-Driven Transformation in University-Based Teacher Preparation at a Hispanic-Serving Institution

• In Event: Consequential Impact on the Latinx Teacher Pipeline Through Region-Wide Transformation in Recruitment, Preparation, and Retention

Abstract

This presentation will provide an overview of the institutional efforts to transform teacher preparation in one university setting: a Research I, Hispanic Serving Institution with a student demographic that is more than 80% Hispanic and nearly 50% first-generation college-going. As the only university-based preparation entity in a geographically isolated part of the state, the university is a vital supplier of teachers - more than 80% of whom are Latinx - for the region. The university serves as co-convener for the region-wide collective impact CoP focused on improving PK-12 student outcomes by strengthening the teacher pipeline.

Starting in early 2019, leadership in the College of Education’s teacher preparation program (TPP) initiated a full-scale transformation process focused on strengthening the clinical preparation experience of teacher candidates. This process built on earlier efforts to embed teacher preparation coursework in schools and was catalyzed by external technical assistance funded by philanthropy. The transformation efforts were guided in part by the core features of high-quality preparation programs outlined by Darling-Hammond (2014), which include: (1) a common vision of good teaching that cuts across coursework and clinical experiences; (2) clear standards of performance and professionalism informing coursework and clinical experiences; (3) extended time in the field for a supervised student teaching experience; and (4) close collaborative relationships among faculty in the university and in schools (Darling-Hammond, 2014, p. 548).

With the goal of strengthening collaborative relationships with and responsiveness to school districts, TPP leadership established a shared governance structure with two district partners starting in 2019 to collect and share data aimed at improving teacher preparation, starting with the co-design and implementation of a year-long teaching residency for teacher candidates. The jointly-implemented residency model included four key components (Guha et al., 2016): a 32-week placement in a high-needs school; careful selection and training of mentor teachers; coaching and support from a university clinical faculty member known as a Site Coordinator; and alignment around a core set of teaching competencies assessed with four formal performance-based observations throughout the residency year.

The co-designed residency began as a pilot in 2019-2020 with 19 candidates in two school districts. By 2022-2023, the residency was scaled to include all undergraduate education majors and all post-baccalaureate candidates, with more than 120 residents placed in seven partner school districts in the region. State-level grant funding combined with district funding initiatives have enabled all teacher candidates to earn a $20,000 stipend to complete their residency.

This presentation will highlight findings from Years 1-3 of residency implementation, with a specific focus on how the residency has impacted teacher candidate readiness for the classroom. Data sources include resident performance data; resident survey data; mentor teacher survey data; and governance meeting agendas and notes. Preliminary findings point to consistent growth on performance assessment measures during the residency year, and greater perceptions of confidence and readiness as compared with semester-long student teaching candidates. Findings also point to shared decision-making and joint actions to enhance teacher preparation between the university and school district partners.

Authors

• Erika L. Mein, University of Texas - El Paso
  Presenting Author

• Lidia Herrera-Rocha, University of Texas - El Paso
  Presenting Author