Exploring a Teacher Residency as a Recruitment and Retention Strategy for High-Need Districts

Abstract

Effective recruitment and retention strategies of teachers remain elusive for school districts. This study examines the pilot implementation of a year-long teacher residency program throughout four high-needs districts. This program embeds eight residents in these schools and provides various teacher preparation supports to support these beginning professionals to sustain within the classroom. We interview district administrators about their recruitment and retention efforts, and then document how the teacher residents experienced these structures throughout their residency year. Findings have implications for improving this innovative and increasingly implemented teacher pipeline structure towards raising the quality and diversifying the workforce.