Strengthen an Existing Teacher Residency
Newly launched or existing teacher residencies can learn from and with effective teacher residency programs as part of our Network.
Existing teacher residency programs often require additional support for their programs and NCTR offers consulting services to strengthen program goals and troubleshoot identified barriers to success.
NCTR Network
NCTR brings together Network members to collaborate and exchange best practices to continuously strengthen their programs and influence teacher preparation nationally.
NCTR Network members receive in-person and virtual programming, including data-based learning opportunities. This programming is meant to help meet a teacher residency program’s goals for improvement, to center equity in residency design and implementation, and to advance the field toward effective preparation.
Network programming is designed to:
- Strengthen the teacher residency movement through advocacy and policy support for long-term sustainability.
- Infuse the Network with innovations informed by both the policy landscape and promising practices from the field.
- Embolden Network members to be critical friends within a professional learning community that prioritizes knowledge creation, acquisition, and sharing.
- Strengthen teacher preparation outcomes by promoting ongoing evaluation and the meaningful use of program impact and implementation data.
Consulting Services
Three consulting services are available to support scaling and sustaining a teacher residency program:
NCTR Network Foundations
Designed to support teacher residency programs needing minimal consulting to meet their goals for improvement and center equity within their design and implementation.
Includes:
- Two virtual consulting sessions (data oriented, fall and spring)
- Network director participation in all professional learning community meetings (also known as Pods)
- Access to all Community Learning Experiences (CLEs)
- Full participation in the Evaluation Suite
- Consulting support to become a registered apprenticeship program
- One complimentary seat at NCTR’s Symposium
NCTR Network
Designed to provide comprehensive programmatic support to deepen the complex work of all teacher residency staff.
Includes:
- Five virtual consulting sessions
- Network director participation in all professional learning community meetings (also known as Pods)
- Access to all Community Learning Experiences (CLEs)
- Full participation in the Evaluation Suite
- Consulting support to become a registered apprenticeship program
- Two complimentary seats at NCTR’s Symposium
- Two seats at the NCTR Network Site Visit
- Eligible to apply for a funding grant for the Black Educators Initiative (BEI)
NCTR Network Plus
Enhanced facilitation of NCTR Network programming with additional consulting services and extra seating opportunities at NCTR’s Symposium.
Includes:
- Up to nine virtual consulting sessions
- Network director participation in all professional learning community meetings (also known as Pods)
- Access to all Community Learning Experiences (CLEs)
- Full participation in the Evaluation Suite
- Consulting support to become a registered apprenticeship program
- Four complimentary seats at NCTR’s Symposium
- Two seats at the NCTR Network Site Visit
- Eligible to apply for a funding grant for the Black Educators Initiative (BEI)
Programming Overview
Program directors or other lead staff will receive one-on-one consulting provided by a dedicated NCTR coach, with the goal of sharing thought partnership, elevating promising practices, addressing contextual challenges, and interpreting and analyzing data. Consulting is centered on self-selected program impact goals, with consultants providing support and resources to support achieving those goals
Network Director Pods comprise 5-8 fellow program directors and are designed to deepen connections, share successful ideas, and collaboratively solve dilemmas.
Virtual professional working groups are facilitated by NCTR staff with the goal of deepening and sustaining the complex work of all residency staff. These groups will incorporate both webinar and workshop designs, focused on application of knowledge from working group experiences.
NCTR collects:
- Annual data as an ongoing record of program growth. NCTR provides access to visualization and analytics from survey data, including comparisons to Network averages, which can be used to show programs’ collective and individual impact.
- Annual surveys of programs’ shareholders, including mentors, residents, principals, and graduates, then collects the data, presents visualizations, and supports goal-setting related to program effectiveness and resident preparedness.
- NCTR’s policy and advocacy team engages lawmakers, foundations, and other education policymakers with a focus on advocacy efforts to sustain and scale the teacher residency model.
Annually, program leaders, educators, and advocates who work with the teacher residency programs in the NCTR Network come together for a multi-day convening to share ideas, successes, and to learn from one another in a professional learning community. During the convening, Network members engage in hands-on working sessions to build knowledge and skills on a particular theme or topic area of critical importance. Experts from multiple areas share the latest research and promising teacher preparation practices.
The annual Site Visit is designed to provide access to a peer Network teacher residency that has been selected to illustrate a common challenge and foster learning and dialogue about potential solutions relevant for all participants.
Looking for Additional Consulting?
NCTR offers opportunities for consultants and teacher residency programs to collaboratively develop additional consulting that directly meets programs’ needs.
Learn More About the NCTR Network
Find out all about the NCTR Network and how you can connect with and learn from our community of high-quality teacher residency programs nationwide.