ACOE Receives $2.5 Million Grant
The Alameda County Office of Education (ACOE) Teacher Residency Program was recently awarded a grant for $2.5 million over four years ($625,000 annually) by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) to support the implementation of its teacher residency program. The grant funding runs from November 2022 through June 2026.
ACOE’s teacher residency program is dedicated to building a teacher pipeline that reflects Alameda County’s diverse student population and continued emphasis on student achievement and equity. This grant reflects CTC’s commitment to local schools and students. Eighty-two percent of the current cohort identify as Black, Indigenous, and people of color.
“Teacher residencies create needed pipelines of teachers who are prepared and supported in their instructional development and their commitment to students they serve,” said ACOE Director of Core Learning Dawn O’Connor.
Alameda County school districts participating in the program include: ACOE Community and Court Schools; Alameda; Berkeley; Fremont; Emery; Hayward; and Piedmont.
“We place a large emphasis on developing teachers who have culturally responsive and sustaining practices,” said ACOE Program Director for Teacher Residency Tracy Lewis. “The residents work through that lens to break down barriers for students toward achievement.”
Research has proven that teachers who participate in a residency program tend to stay in the profession longer than those who come to the profession in other ways. Furthermore, all students benefit from having a teacher of color during their TK-12 experience.
“We care deeply about ensuring that the teachers reflect the students they are standing in front of and residents are uniquely positioned to meet the needs of the students they serve,” added O’Connor. “They leverage their community, and their lived and educational experiences.”
Unlike other programs, ACOE’s Teacher Residency Program at Alder Graduate School of Education (GSE) merges theory and practice in the Transitional Kindergarten (TK)-12th grade context. Residents co-plan, co-teach and are gradually released into solo teaching for four days a week, with the support of their mentor. They also spend one day a week in a seminar.
Recruitment of residents mostly occurs within the communities of the K-12 schools in Alameda County. This includes classified staff and paraeducators interested in increasing their impact on student learning by becoming teachers.
Benefits of joining a residency program include providing the prospective teacher with opportunities to become part of a school culture, receive professional support and receive a stipend. Residents often come from within the local community, helping ensure that the teachers in front of the class represent the students.
“Mentors are sharing with us that this program is more supportive of residents than others they have seen, and feel that the residents will be more prepared to start on the first day of school,” said Lewis. Alumni of the program often recommend applicants and go on to become mentors themselves.
“I have been a mentor teacher for several other universities. The ACOE and Alder Teacher Residency Programs are easily the best. They provide excellent support for their residents with a curriculum that is practical and intense” said Paul M. Thomas, Ed.D, a social science teacher in Hayward USD and a Mentor Teacher. “Students leave their program well prepared to take on a career in teaching.”
In traditional programs, prospective teachers may get a semester in one location and are then sent to a new community. Residents in ACOE’s program benefit from observing students’ development while being a part of the school community and co-teaching with their mentor for a full school year.
“Some of the strongest components of the program are the feedback residents receive and the ability to connect with other residents across different schools,” said Bret Harte Middle School Principal Seana Condit-Gordon. Condit-Gordon also shared that the program allows residents and principals to get to know each other and form professional relationships. “The weekly communications with site administrators keep me informed and I can easily report my observations of the resident.”
Some teacher preparation models offer courses and the resident must fit them into their schedule. This program follows a cohort model. Alder GSE in partnership with ACOE strategically designs the professional learning model of the courses, whether in person or virtual, around the residents' needs and schedules.
“The everyday experience of our residents is built around supporting their development to be reflective and culturally responsive practitioners,” added Lewis. “The high touch model of this residency program allows time and a safe space for residents and mentors to reflect, connect and grow. This cohort is developing into a strong network of educators across the county.”