Residency-prepared teachers remain in teaching and in their districts at higher rates than other novice teachers, typically 80–95% after 3 years¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 3 studies (4 entries) · 2 associational r2, 1 review r2 · q2–q3
Currency · newest study 2025 · checked against its sources 2026-10-21 (automated, 4 of 4 entries) · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q3 i? In a regression analysis of TQP-funded residencies, 82% of residency graduates were still teaching in the same district in Year 3 or 4 vs. 72% of non-residents, a statistically significant difference. → Saunders 2024 q2 i? Program-specific descriptive studies show large retention differentials, e.g., Boston Teacher Residency graduates 80% vs. 63% of non-residents in Year 3. → Saunders 2024 (2)

q2 i? TRP teachers were more likely to remain teaching in the same district than non-TRP teachers with similar teaching placements. → Tim Silva 2015

q2 i? Retention rates for residency completers typically range from 80% to 95% after 3 years, exceeding comparison teachers in the same districts by at least 10 percentage points. → Wojcikiewicz 2025

Evidence¶

Saunders 2024¶

Saunders, R., Fitz, J., DiNapoli, M. A., Jr., & Kini, T. (2024). Teacher residencies: State and federal policy to support comprehensive teacher preparation. Learning Policy Institute & EdPrepLab. https://doi.org/10.54300/358.825

q3 · i? · associational · r2

A 2015 regression analysis of 377 TQP-funded residency graduates vs. a representative sample of 376 teachers from other preparation programs, controlling for key district and school characteristics, found "82% of residency graduates were still teaching in the same district in Year 3 or 4, vs. 72% of non-residents." The report notes the difference was significant at p < .01.

"82% of residency graduates were still teaching in the same district in Year 3 or 4, vs. 72% of non-residents."

Saunders 2024 (2)¶

Saunders, R., Fitz, J., DiNapoli, M. A., Jr., & Kini, T. (2024). Teacher residencies: State and federal policy to support comprehensive teacher preparation. Learning Policy Institute & EdPrepLab. https://doi.org/10.54300/358.825

q2 · i? · review · r2

Descriptive analysis of 312 Boston Teacher Residency graduates vs. 1,333 non-resident teachers hired between 2004–05 and 2010–11 found "80% of graduates were still teaching in Boston Public Schools in Year 3, vs. 63% of non-resident teachers," with the difference significant at p < .001 per the report.

"80% of graduates were still teaching in Boston Public Schools in Year 3, vs. 63% of non-resident teachers."

Tim Silva 2015¶

Tim Silva, Allison McKie, Philip Gleason. (2015). New Findings on the Retention of Novice Teachers from Teaching Residency Programs. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance. https://ies.ed.gov/ncee

q2 · i? · associational · r2

Comparative retention analysis of two cohorts of novice TRP teachers (first- and second-year teachers in 2011-2012) against a representative sample of similarly placed non-TRP teachers, tracked to fall 2013. The brief reports that "TRP teachers were more likely to remain teaching in the same district than non-TRP teachers with similar teaching placements." No effect size is printed.

"TRP teachers were more likely to remain teaching in the same district than non-TRP teachers with similar teaching placements."

Wojcikiewicz 2025¶

Wojcikiewicz, S. K., Ralph, K., Snyder, J., Bland, J. A., & Wechsler, M. E. (2025). Teacher residencies in Texas: Supporting successful implementation. Learning Policy Institute. https://doi.org/10.54300/630.675

q2 · i? · review · r2

The report synthesizes prior research on teacher residency outcomes, citing Learning Policy Institute reviews. It reports residency completer retention "typically range from 80% to 95% after 3 years," exceeding same-district comparison teachers; no standardized effect size is printed.

"Retention rates for residency completers vary by program, but typically range from 80% to 95% after 3 years, exceeding the retention rates of comparison teachers in the same districts by at least 10 percentage points."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• Residency graduates show high retention rates of roughly 80-90% after three years and 70-80% after five years — possibly the same claim (merge candidate)
• In rigorous controlled studies, residency graduates retained at significantly higher rates than non-residency peers — possibly the same claim (merge candidate)
• Congress created the Teacher Quality Partnership Grant Program in 2008, which funds teaching residency programs (TRPs) meant to draw highly qualified teachers to high-need schools — related
• Novice TRP teachers' district retention rates are roughly the same as those of teachers entering through other preparation programs — reports the opposite
• School-retention rates are similar between TRP-trained and non-TRP novice teachers — related
• Alder residency graduates show higher 3-year same-LEA retention than teachers prepared through other pathways in the same LEAs — related
• Well-prepared and well-mentored teachers stay in teaching at more than twice the rate of unprepared entrants, and teacher residency programs typically retain more than 80% over five years — related
• Boston Public Schools' district-wide full open hiring policy was followed by more than 100 additional Black and Hispanic teachers hired over four years, per an Annenberg Institute analysis — related
• Grow Your Own program graduates remain in teaching longer than typical beginning teachers and teach in high-need schools at high rates — related
• Kern Urban Teacher Residency graduates are retained at high rates in the partner district, with 92% of its 114 graduates continuing to work in BCSD — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• Teacher residency completers are more effective and more likely to stay in teaching than teachers entering through other pathways or without preparation — a broader claim this one bears on
• Teacher residency program graduates are more racially diverse than other new teachers and much more likely to stay in teaching, especially in sponsoring high-need districts — related
• UCLA's IMPACT early childhood pathway prepared 50 fully licensed teachers across four cohorts, with 87% retained in the district for at least 3 years — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• TRP teachers who changed schools within their district tended to move to schools with similar low-income shares, a lower percentage of black students, and higher achievement — related
• The 2010-2015 study examined characteristics of 30 TRPs, including required coursework, teacher backgrounds and experiences, and teacher retention — related
• The retention comparison covers two cohorts of novice TRP teachers across six districts served by 12 TRPs, with a representative non-TRP comparison sample — related
• TRP participants could accept a stipend in exchange for committing to teach in the same district for at least three years — related
• Residency-completer principals remained in CPS at similar rates as other principals, with no evidence of differential exit or transfer — related
• Strong mentoring is linked to novice elementary teachers being 25 percentage points more likely to plan to remain in the same school, with a similar but non-significant pattern for high school teachers — related
• A 2011 study found residency-trained teachers outperformed same-experience peers by nearly two months' worth of learning by their fifth year and were more likely to stay in teaching — related
• Most residency programs offer district-based employment opportunities, but fewer than half of residents participate, mainly due to time and schedule conflicts — related
• Fully prepared novice teachers are less than half as likely to leave teaching after their first year than those lacking key training elements — related
• University of Houston residency completers retain in teaching at rates above state averages (93% after year one; 3- and 5-year retention 10 and 7 points above state averages for the 2019 cohort) — related
• Students of residency graduates show achievement outcomes comparable to or better than other novices, with gains emerging over time — related
• Placing a full cohort of 25 residents as co-teachers in one high-need elementary school coincided with schoolwide achievement gains in ELA and mathematics within one year. — related
• UCLA-CS reports high teacher retention and above-district student and parent satisfaction alongside its academic outcomes — related