Coursework and Professional Development

Characteristic 7: Coursework and professional learning opportunities are tightly integrated with clinical practice.

The Characteristics and Evidence of an Effective California Teacher Residency Program (the Characteristics) serve as a common framework for teacher residencies in the state. They exemplify the scope and complexity of the development of teacher residency programs by which all partnerships can define and develop their program implementation.

The following evidence-based indicators should be used for each level of residency development. 

• Coursework, professional learning opportunities, and clinical experiences are aligned through a set of prioritized skills or day 1 ready skills

• A shared observation rubric/framework is used to assess residents on agreed-upon performance benchmarks

• Scope and sequence of coursework and professional opportunities allows residents to practice and receive feedback on skills before being applied and assessed

• All teacher educators and mentors (across coursework, professional learning opportunities, and clinical practice) effectively employ the shared observation rubric/framework to support and track resident growth

• Residents understand that teaching is an act of social justice and that examining (in)justices must inform their teaching practice

• Residents reflect on the growth and impact of their teaching practice