.png?sfvrsn=c28b72b1_10 "CA.Gov")
.png?sfvrsn=cd8b72b1_0 "Commission on Teacher Credentialing")
SRTAC representatives from the Commission, county hubs, WestEd, UCLA, Residency Lab, and SCCOE.
At the newly formed Statewide Residency Technical Assistance Center (SRTAC), work is underway to build a strong foundation for the program designed to support teacher and school counselor residency programs across California.
In July 2023, the Commission awarded the Santa Clara County Office of Education (SCCOE) a $20 million grant to establish the SRTAC as allocated in the 2022-23 state budget. Partners include Humboldt, Sacramento, San Diego, and Tulare County Offices of Education as regional hubs, as well as The Residency Lab, WestEd, and UCLA Teacher Education Program.
“This is really exciting work and we’re hopeful we can change the face of teacher and counselor preparation to begin to tie residencies to student achievement,” said Adora Fisher, executive director of SCCOE Educator Preparation Programs.
The SRTAC will concentrate on supporting the implementation of best practices in residency programming, local recruitment, cost reduction for participants, and disseminating information to ensure equitable practices for teacher and school counselor candidates in residency programs.
“Residencies are the best way to prepare teachers. It’s hands-on, it’s experiential, there’s a mentor guiding them through the process, so they are better prepared to stand in front of students their first year in the class,” said Fisher.
Residencies also help decrease turnover among early career teachers, according to national studies and the Commission’s final report to the Legislature on the 2018 Teacher Residency Grant Program.
“In the last five years, California has made historic investments in teacher residencies with the goals to not only strengthen preparation programs and address educator shortages, but to move the needle on developing a sustainable, effective, and equitable workforce,” said Commission Executive Director Mary Vixie Sandy. “We are optimistic about the impact SRTAC will have to help achieve these goals in school systems across the state.”
In addition to providing technical assistance to programs and future programs, the SRTAC is developing a plan to help sustain residency initiatives beyond the life of the grant.