State actions to strengthen and sustain a funded residency pathway: clarify goals, upgrade data systems, adjust grant parameters, offer transition grants, and pair new LEAs with experienced IHEs¶

Strategy · All strategies
Evidence · no claims cited

Description¶

The brief recommends that state leadership "clarify the state's short- and long-term goals for the residency pathway in California"; that the CTC and CDE "upgrade and align statewide data systems," including adding a residency identifier to teacher records; that grant parameters be adjusted by "extending the grant liquidation periods beyond the 2 years currently indicated" and allowing budget and enrollment flexibility; that the legislature consider flexible "transition grants" to help programs move off TRGP support; and that LEAs launching first residencies partner with IHEs that have established residency pathways. Technical assistance providers are advised to focus on programs with high sustainability potential and to orchestrate COE-led consortia for small rural districts.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• State administrative capacity at the CTC and CDE; remaining grant funds available for reallocation to data systems and transition grants

Constraints¶

• The brief states a concerted focus on depth may be in tension with widespread expansion to new partnerships and geographic areas in the remaining grant years

Target Learners¶

• policymakers, state agencies, LEA and IHE leaders, and technical assistance providers supporting teacher residency programs

Target Learning Goals¶

• sustaining and scaling clinical teacher preparation beyond grant funding
• understanding residency impact on local workforce needs

Affordances¶

• Spread And Depth Scale Framework

Related Strategies¶

• Recommendations for sustainable and affordable residency programs: align with LEA strategy, engage system leaders, dedicate sustainability roles, and run affordability analyses
• Sustain and expand residency pathways through maintained state grant funding, financial aid, apprenticeship structures, and technical assistance
• Sustain and expand California's teacher workforce investments: continued GSTG funding, residency sustainability, NBCT uptake studies, and better program data
• Five state policy actions to sustain and scale teacher residencies
• Program-leader recommendations for strengthening teacher apprenticeship experiences
• State agencies can strengthen leadership initiatives through sustained endorsement, cross-agency communication, and amplification

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

• Brannegan, A., & Hirschboeck, K. (2024). Scaling California's Teacher Residency Grant Program: Findings and implications from the grant's first 4 years. WestEd. https://www.wested.org/support/formative-evaluation-of-the-california-teacher-residency-grant-program