DC Teacher Residency Partnerships

DC Teacher Residency Partnerships

Career journeys aren’t linear, nor is the path to teaching.

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Pre-service teachers who train in DCPS schools for a full academic year have the potential to be demonstrably more effective than other novice teachers. A residency partnership supports schools by:

  • Creating an internal, school-based pipeline of novice teachers
  • Providing high-quality training, support and coaching for residents prior to and throughout the residency program
  • Providing teacher leadership opportunities to high-performing teachers with the opportunity to serve as mentors to residents

DCPS Residency Partnerships

DCPS teacher residency partnerships prepare recent college graduates, career changers, and outstanding paraprofessionals to be highly effective teachers in DCPS schools. DCPS is proud to partner with two residency programs: Urban Teachers and Relay Teaching Residency. These two residency partners will train residents in DCPS classrooms alongside high-performing mentor teachers for the entire school year, in preparation to assume a lead teaching role in the second year of the program.

Urban Teachers

Urban Teachers Residency participants make a four-year commitment to the program: one as a resident teacher before becoming teachers-of-record for the next three years. Urban Teachers preparation is focused on rigorous, clinically-based coursework and ongoing support. Participants receive three years of individualized coaching and are endorsed for their Standard Credential in year three after demonstration of student gains. Urban Teachers residents can be placed in Early Childhood, Elementary, Secondary Math and Secondary ELA classrooms.

Participants complete a Master of Science in Education through a partnership with Johns Hopkins University School of Education, and are dual certified in their content area and Special Education. Urban Teachers provides recruitment and selection support to identify outstanding recent college graduates and career changers.

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Relay Teaching Residency participants make a two-year commitment to the program: one year as a resident teacher and one as the teacher-of-record. Relay’s preparation is centered on the frequent and deliberate practice of concrete teaching techniques and a gradual “on-ramp” to teaching responsibilities. Participants receive two years of school-based coaching support. Relay residents can currently be placed in Early Childhood and Elementary classrooms and are planning future expansion to Middle and Secondary Math, Science and ELA classrooms.

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Relay GSE

Teacher Leadership Recognition

Exemplary teachers exhibit their skills of leadership on a consistent basis. Teacher leadership is at the heart of transformation in any school and DCPS recognizes and empowers teachers to be champions of change.

  • Teacher Selection Ambassador

  • Teacher Leadership Innovation

  • Standing Ovation Awards