St. Louis Teacher Residency

THE NEED:

Throughout the country, high-needs public schools and districts face teacher shortages and challenges associated with teacher quality and retention. This need is especially acute in the city of St. Louis where 40% of new teachers exit the classroom within their first three years.

Generally, new teachers are not adequately prepared for the classroom. More than 60% of graduates report that their teacher preparation program did not prepare them to cope with classroom realities. While student teaching is identified by new teachers as "the most valuable aspect of my education program," more than three-quarters of graduates report receiving one term or less of clinical training experience. This lack of preparedness impacts schools and districts each year, as beginning teachers have persistently high rates of attrition. Nearly 50 percent of those entering the teaching profession leave within 5 years. Additionally, high-poverty, high-minority schools experience the highest rates of turnover.

PROGRAM OBJECTIVES:

In response, STLTR implements a highly selective recruitment process to attract a diverse group of talented second-career entrants, community members, and college graduates who are committed to teaching in our city's public schools. This recruitment effort is driven by the unique needs and goals of each partner school or district, focusing on areas of high-need such as science and math.

The St. Louis Teacher Residency model blends a rigorous full-year classroom apprenticeship for emerging teachers with a carefully aligned sequence of academic coursework. Teacher residents learn how to teach by working alongside a mentor teacher, and coursework is tailored to the local, St. Louis context. STLTR candidates commit to teach in their partner district or school for a minimum of three years following completion of their apprenticeship. Residents receive a stipend for living expenses throughout their training year and a subsidized master's degree from our university partner, Washington University in St. Louis, upon completion of the program.

In addition to our core work as an educator preparation program, in the 2022-23 school-year, STLTR expanded our work as a capacity-builder. Through our Teacher Leadership Program, STLTR now offers support and development for certified teachers working in partner schools. Participants receive high-quality instructional coaching from STLTR and content-specific professional development. The Teacher Leadership Program prepares teachers to become mentors in Year 2, and participants have the option of earning a Master of Arts in Teaching & Learning or a Certificate in Instructional Excellence.

IMPACT:

Data from STLTR's first four years of operation indicate that STLTR's model significantly impacts students and schools. In our work with our first four cohorts, St. Louis Teacher Residency has:

1. Increased student achievement with residency-trained teachers consistently outperforming their peers on state and district assessments.
2. Boasted strong teacher retention. 93% of graduates from our 2018 cohort are currently teaching in a high-needs classroom. 79% are teaching in their placement school.
3. Maintained strong principal satisfaction rates over 90%.
4. Contributed to the diversity of the local teacher workforce. 52% of residents identify as teachers of color. 48% identify as Black or African-American.

By training and developing teachers specifically for the St. Louis context, STLTR plays an integral role in alleviating educational inequities that persist in our region along racial and economic lines. STLTR is currently working to address teacher shortages in St. Louis by growing from an initial cohort of 20 teachers to an organization serving 75 teachers each year across multiple support and preparation pathways. In this way, STLTR will impact almost 5,000 new students in each year of operation.