Towards a National Definition of Teacher Residencies
The Pathways Alliance has developed this definition of teacher residencies to help clarify the field's use of the term. Our intention with this document is to support local partnership discussions about residency design and improvements and to provide state, regional, and federal leaders with a condensed yet thorough definition to guide policies that can support high-quality residencies to attract, prepare, and retain a robust and diverse teaching workforce.
This document is a strong start to building a shared definition of teacher residencies. At the same time, we know that localities will adapt and may improve on this definition. For that reason, we have produced this definition under a Creative Commons license (CC-BY-NC-SA).
The initial draft was co-constructed by the Teacher Residency Working Group, a collaborative group of Pathways Alliance members with expertise in residency development, support, and research. To inform and revise this definition, the working group sought input from other Pathways Alliance members and over 40 external groups and leaders — including districts, preparation programs, state education departments, and national professional and advocacy groups.
