Black History Month Focus 

Preview of Emerging NCTR Research on Teachers of Color in Residencies

The growing body of evidence indicating that all students, and especially students of color, benefit from having teachers of color in their schools is driving change in teacher preparation. But diversifying the teacher pipeline to ensure these benefits for an ever-diversifying nation of students has proved challenging for school systems, traditional educator preparation programs, and state policymakers. The research is one reason why NCTR partners focus on attracting a diverse teacher candidate pool in which 55 percent of the teachers-in-training identify as persons of color – more than twice the diversity rate of teachers nationally. Crucial to the residency model and the success of pre-service teachers, also, are mentor teachers, and 43 percent of these professionals training and guiding NCTR residents are also people of color.

This impact suggests that elements of teacher residency recruitment, selection, and preparation processes influence how and why candidates from diverse backgrounds are choosing teacher residencies.  

For a forthcoming report “Teacher Residencies as a Vehicle to Recruit Teachers of Color,” NCTR has conducted a qualitative study, interviewing graduates and staff from five urban residencies in our Network.  These interviews reveal three major strategies that—when intentionally applied by teacher training programs, and found to be especially effective in the residency model—address recruitment barriers that prevent high-quality teachers of color from entering teaching and enriching students and schools in communities that may benefit the most. 

The research shows that recruiting a diverse candidate pool is most successful when programs:

• Focus on specific communities to recruit diverse candidates; 
• Employ culturally responsive supports for recruits before and after they enroll; and, 
• Are intentionally designed to promote and value diversity, equity, and inclusion mindsets and structures.   

The report further reveals that one distinguishing factor in the residency model is that the programs are designed explicitly to meet the needs of districts—namely urban and high needs districts, where new teachers are most likely to be placed.  Also, the residencies being focused on providing extensive clinical training in schools like those where the teacher candidates will ultimately teach results in an aligned pre-service to inservice experience that benefits students, communities, and schools.  

“Teacher Residencies as a Vehicle to Recruit Teachers of Color” will be released this spring.