St Louis Teacher Residency

Certification & Master's Coursework: The Teach St. Louis coursework model offers a unique synthesis of theory and practice. In each core program, teachers train as part of a cohort - a peer group that provides ongoing support and collaborative learning throughout the program. Teach St. Louis has organized its curriculum around five core competencies that, when taken together, comprise a framework for what it takes to prepare teachers who lead their K-12 students to dramatic student growth. Participants enroll in spiraling modules, each of which is associated with a core competency and Teach St. Louis's Vision for Effective Teaching. Modules range in length from two class sessions to an entire semester. With a modular format, it is possible to spiral ideas over the course of a certification or Master's degree program. In order to ensure that teachers are effectively prepared, Teach St. Louis assesses teachers' progress through performance-based assessments. These performance-based assessments occur throughout the school-year and assess a candidate's ability to implement skills and strategies in their classrooms and school placements. Participants in the teacher residency program are recommended for certification following the completion of their first year in the program. During the second year, residents begin their work as lead-teachers and continue their coursework with Teach St. Louis, enrolling in the Master of Arts in Teaching & Learning program, facilitated collaboratively by Teach St. Louis and Washington University in St. Louis. Over the course of 4 semesters, residents take an additional 21 credit hours to complete their Master's degree. In the Teacher Leadership Program, participants enroll with our university partner in the first year, completing a one-year certificate or two-year Master's degree program.

Teacher Recruitment and Selection: Through a highly selective recruitment process, Teach St. Louis attracts a diverse group of talented college graduates, second-career entrants, and current teachers for our residency and Master's degree programs. This targeted effort is driven by the unique needs and goals of each school and district partner, particularly in high-needs areas such as science and math. Teach St. Louis believes that our teachers and cohort should reflect the diversity of our city. As a result, each year Teach St. Louis works to recruit a cohort in which 50% of participants identify as people of color and 75% are career-changers. Teach St. Louis also works to maintain a rigorous selection process, with a goal selectivity rate of 25%. Teach St. Louis primarily cultivates candidates through attendance at career fairs, networking with local organizations and non-profits, and advertising campaigns. Teach St. Louis also partners with our school and district partners to recruit internal candidates for both the residency and Master's degree programs. For all programs, Teach St. Louis implements a rigorous selection process consisting of the submission of an initial application and essay questions, an interview, and attendance at a final selection day event. The culminating selection day includes multiple components including the presentation of a sample lesson, participation in a group discussion activity, a panel interview, and the submission of case studies. In the end, Teach St. Louis selected 22 new resident-teachers and 10 certified teachers for participation in our programs.