The Teaching Residency Program for Critical Shortage Areas (TRP-CSA) at
Texas State University – San Marcos is a partnership to positively impact student
achievement in mathematics and science in high needs schools by providing secondary
mathematics, science and special education (SPED) teachers who have been carefully
selected and have completed an intensive field-based preparation program.  Specifically,
the partnership will:

• recruit and select four cohorts (100 students total) of academically talented and diverse individuals with mathematics and science degrees, 
• provide Resident Teachers with a living-wage stipend while they participate in an accelerated field-based teacher preparation program that
• will enable them to earn teacher certification and complete a 36-hour master’s degree within 14-months,
• facilitate the employment of program participants in high needs secondary schools upon completion of their preparation program, 
• provide program participants with induction support and continued professional development throughout their first two years of teaching,
• collect, analyze and utilize a variety of data sources, including student achievement data, to monitor program effectiveness and to engage in a data-based continuous improvement process of program refinement,
• maximize the use of partner talents and resources to support and enhance the TRP-CSA program and to ensure its continuation beyond initial funding.

The TRP-CSA partnership is comprised of the Colleges of Education and Science
at Texas State University –San Marcos; Austin Independent School District and Del
Valle Independent School District (both high needs districts); Skillpoint Alliance, a
business/education nonprofit community organization; and Pearson Teacher Education
and Development, developers of myeducationlab, an innovative digital and online teacher
education resource. 

Each TRP-CSA participant will spend four full days per week for the entire
school year teaching along side a “master” teacher who will provide guidance and
mentoring throughout the preparation program.  One day each week will be spent in
university classes and in professional development experiences designed and delivered by
the partnership.   Resident Teachers will be in graduate classes with other cohort
members, and course assignments will frequently interface with and extend the
experiences of participants as they work in schools.  

Upon completion of the program, each candidate will become certified in
secondary mathematics or science (physical science 8-12, life science 8-12, or chemistry
8-12) and, in addition, will also complete a graduate degree with a major in secondary
education and a cognate (minor) in special education which will provide them with
specialized training to meet the learning needs of a diverse student population, including
students with disabilities.  After completing the introductory special education courses,
candidates who have career aspirations to become a special education teacher can
complete coursework and a master’s degree leading to certification with a major in SPED
and a minor in General Education Methods and Materials, thus providing a cadre of
highly qualified SPED mathematics and science teachers. 

TRP-CSA is conceptualized to address the needs identified by the partnership, to
incorporate key features of well-recognized Teacher Residency Programs operating in
Boston (Newman, 2009) and Chicago (Berry, Montgomery, Curtis, Hernandez, Wertzel
& Snyder, 2008), and to build upon the university’s previous successes of implementing
and institutionalizing post-baccalaureate teacher certification programs for mid-career
individuals and delivering teacher induction programs in partnership with school districts.