November 4, 2026 — The National Center for Teacher Residencies (NCTR) is partnering with Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU) to advance CSCU’s Excellence in Teacher Residency Project, a statewide initiative focused on strengthening teacher preparation, addressing educator shortages, and building sustainable pathways that help well-prepared teachers enter and remain in Connecticut classrooms.
Teacher residencies combine coursework with sustained, mentored classroom experience, helping aspiring teachers develop the knowledge and skills to lead classrooms. NCTR will support CSCU’s work through its national expertise in teacher residency program development, which includes financial sustainability and evidence-based strategies to advance high-quality preparation pathways needed to recruit, prepare, and retain effective educators.
“As a graduate of Connecticut public schools, this work holds special meaning to me. Strong public schools depend on well-prepared teachers who are supported to succeed and remain in the classroom,” said NCTR CEO Kathlene H. Campbell, Ph.D. “By working alongside CSCU and its school district partners, we have an opportunity to strengthen the systems that support aspiring educators, build more sustainable pathways into the profession, and contribute to a stronger educator workforce across Connecticut.”
NCTR brings nearly two decades of experience supporting the design, launch, growth, and sustainability of teacher residency programs nationwide. In partnership with higher education institutions, school districts, and other education stakeholders, NCTR helps programs apply research-based practices to strengthen clinical preparation, mentor teacher development, recruitment, retention, and continuous improvement. Through its work with CSCU, NCTR will draw on its research-based teacher residency model and Levers for Teacher Residencies to inform program design and implementation and help coordinate a systemwide teacher residency infrastructure that strengthens the connection between educator preparation and classroom practice while responding to Connecticut’s workforce needs.
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About NCTR
The National Center for Teacher Residencies (NCTR) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to developing, launching, supporting, and accelerating the impact of teacher residency programs. Headquartered in Chicago, NCTR’s mission is to transform educator preparation by advancing the teacher residency movement to prepare, support, and retain more effective educators who represent and value the communities they serve. For more information about NCTR, visit www.nctresidencies.org.
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