Employ residency residents as the second adult in TK classrooms using assistant teacher or paraprofessional budget lines¶

Strategy · All strategies
Evidence · 3 claims (3 for) · 3 studies (3 associational), q2 · 0 of 3 report an effect size · 3 claims rest on one study

Description¶

The brief recommends that, given TK's child-to-adult ratio requirements, districts employ residency residents, with salary and benefits, as the second adult in the classroom "using assistant teacher or paraprofessional budget lines to cover salary and tuition." This would meet staffing needs under TK expansion, fulfill ratio requirements, and provide a paid pathway for new TK teachers to earn robust preparation and their Multiple Subject credential while working. The brief suggests the pathway may particularly interest current early childhood educators with a bachelor's degree working in state preschool programs.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Residency funding streams (federal TQP grants or California grant programs) to cover salary and tuition

Constraints¶

• Depends on the 12:1 child-to-adult ratio requirement starting in 2022–23 and available budget lines

Target Learners¶

• Current early childhood educators with a bachelor's degree and new teacher candidates

Target Learning Goals¶

• Building a credentialed TK teacher workforce with early childhood expertise

Claims¶

• California LEAs reported sufficient fully qualified TK lead teachers in 2022–23 but high second-adult vacancies, and projected needing 1,489 more TK lead teachers and 962 more aides in 2023–24 [+W]
• TK staffing needs grew with expansion while vacancy rates held steady, but LEAs projected nearly 2,400 additional assistant teachers for 2025–26 [+W]
• California will need at least 16,000 to 19,700 assistant TK teachers by 2025–26 under one-lead-one-assistant staffing [+W]

Related Strategies¶

• Reallocate existing district roles and budget lines—substitute teaching, paraeducator positions, and extended-day staffing—to fund and pay residents
• Strategic staffing models that redirect district instructional-support funds to subsidize paid residency stipends
• Sustain paid residencies through strategic staffing that reallocates resident instructional support roles
• Leverage California state grant programs to fund TK-focused teacher residencies

Examples¶

-

Key Sources¶

• Cathy Yun. (2022). Preparing Transitional Kindergarten to 3rd Grade Educators Through Teacher Residencies. Learning Policy Institute & EDPREPLAB. https://doi.org/10.54300/139.797