A Teacher Residency Melds Classroom Theory with Clinical Practice: Collaboration and Support for Teachers, Their Mentors, and University-Based Educators Is Key to a Preservice Residency Program

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Recent calls for reform position teacher residency programs as the new standard for clinical teacher preparation in the U.S. A shift to residency models changes the quantity and quality of required coursework and clinical practice. But a dearth of research on the effectiveness of such programs raises questions of scalability, particularly in light of decreasing enrollment in teacher education and tight resources for such programs (Sawchuk, 2014). Yet a search for answers about residency models could include the experience of the University of South Florida over the last decade. The Tampa-based campus is home to two public, Title I elementary schools, with a third located in the nearby Museum of Science and Industry. One would expect these three schools to be bustling with activity related to teacher preparation. When I arrived at USF in 2007, however, nothing could have been further from the truth. USF's undergraduate elementary teacher preparation program lacked a systematic approach to coursework, and its theory-to-practice divide was expansive. Aside from sharing Rocky the Bull as mascot with the elementary schools, there was little indication that a partnership ever existed between them. That made ours the type of program that so many recent reports have called to improve upon. As a newly appointed assistant professor of literacy studies, I was assigned to teach coursework focused on reading assessment. I quickly learned that the majority of my elementary preservice teachers had little to no experience working one-on-one with children, which was particularly concerning because my course was one of the last they enrolled in prior to final internship. In an effort to develop stronger coursework for preservice elementary education majors and to build partnerships with the schools on campus, I began working closely with the two elementary schools on campus and within a year was teaching literacy coursework at one of the schools, incorporating opportunities for preservice students to practice what they learned in class while working with K-5 students and their teachers. This teaching model, along with a more focused and purposeful approach to teacher preparation in our department, was the impetus for a new way of preparing elementary teachers at USF, and, in fall 2011, we admitted our first class to the Urban Teacher Residency Partnership Program (UTRPP). Outlines of the program UTRPP is a community focused on high-quality, integrated, clinical experiences that create collaborative connections to better prepare partners in urban schools to meet the needs of children. The program came to fruition through an extensive partnership with Hillsborough County Public Schools (HCPS), the eighth largest school district in the nation. Six urban elementary schools are part of the UTRPP network--the three on or near the USF campus and three within five miles of campus. Each school serves a student population of which 90% or more qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Thus, the preservice teachers enrolled in the program work in settings similar to those in which they are most likely to be hired (Grossman, 2010). Who enrolls in UTRPP? USF's undergraduate elementary education program enrolls about 200 preservice teachers each year. One cohort of 20 to 25 students enrolls in the UTRPP track. Once these students are admitted to the larger elementary education program, they then decide to complete the additional application requirements to join UTRPP. The requirements include: * Evidence of at least 50 hours working with children (daycare, after-school, summer camp, babysitting, etc.) with references from these experiences that we may contact; * A letter of intent describing their interest in joining UTRPP; and * A signed contract indicating they agree to enroll in the program from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday throughout the two-year program. …