Overview

Changes for the 2025-2026 School Year:

RESA Requirement Removed from Resident Educator Program

With the recent passage of Ohio House Bill 96 on July 1, 2025, the Resident Educator Summative Assessment (RESA) has been eliminated from the Ohio Resident Educator (RE) Program. Resident educators in their first and second year of teaching must still be registered in the RE Program and complete all the requirements of the RE Program and the requirements developed by the employing local district. Program coordinators must register resident educators and enter completion criteria in the Connected Ohio Records for Educators (CORE) online system for resident educators to advance their resident educator license to a professional license.

Educators who have successfully completed all Resident Educator Program completion criteria except RESA are eligible to advance their resident educator license to a professional license and may complete the application through their CORE Dashboard. Note that educators who hold an Alternative Resident Educator license must also complete all other requirements of the Alternative Resident Educator Licensure Pathway before advancing their license.

Source: SBOE Website 

Website for the Ohio State Board of Education Resident Educator Program with important links:

https://sboe.ohio.gov/educator-standards-and-programs/resident-educator-program 

Official presentation on the Resident Educator Program from the Ohio State Board of Education for the 2024-2025 school year (converted from PowerPoint to Google Slides):

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1rGwpswl8fIoBA_3thE008pa8KxMnepFMTkHqRW4AjHo/edit?usp=sharing

From https://education.ohio.gov/Topics/Teaching/Resident-Educator-Program:

The Ohio Resident Educator (RE) Program began in 2011, and is a comprehensive, two-year initiative to assist beginning teachers with mentoring and professional development as they start their education careers. The RE Program is designed to improve teacher retention, enhance teacher quality, and result in improved student achievement. The RE Program can be envisioned as a professional pathway to continued professional learning, leading educators to more effective practices and excellence in teaching.

Significant changes to the RE Program beginning with the 2023-2024 school year:

• Local RE Programs must transition from a four-year program to a two-year program structure;

• Participants in the RE Program must successfully complete two program years;

• Previously registered REs are also only required to complete two program years, including years they’ve already completed;

• Credit for prior teaching experience is no longer available.