Wilmington University’s College of Education has received a half-million dollar grant from a national education think tank.
The National Center for Teacher Residencies (NCTR), a Chicago-based, not-for-profit organization, selected the College of Education’s year-long teacher residency initiative as one of its SEED Grant recipients.
The SEED (Supporting Effective Educator Development) Grant recognizes programs that are transforming teacher preparation with up to $500,000 of support for student teachers and their mentors.
The program invites recipients to participate in the group’s New Site Development Program, which consists of two years of consulting designed to build, evaluate and sustain training practices.
“We will support Wilmington University as it focuses on developing new strategies to recruit more teachers of color and bilingual teachers, prepare teachers for critical needs areas, and increase teacher retention within partner school districts,” the organization stated.
“Needless to say, we’re pleased to be one of only four teacher preparation programs in the nation to get one of these grants, and we were awarded the maximum amount,” said Dr. John Gray, dean of the College of Education. “We’re changing the culture of student teaching at this university and this recognition helps us to improve the way teachers are trained.”
WilmU’s year-long teacher residency program, developed in conjunction with several Delaware school districts, has grown since its 2014 launch. While traditional student teaching programs span a semester (or, at some colleges, as little as 10 weeks), those pursuing education degrees at Wilmington University are able to work side-by-side with mentor teachers for an entire school year.
“Our year-long interns work every single day and assume all the responsibilities that the teachers do from before the first day of school until the last teacher work day of the school year,” he said. “So they learn what it’s like to start a school year, finish a school year, and everything in between. They get to experience an entire school year.”
They are also treated as professionals. “They’re co-teachers,” he added. “Children, parents, and faculty recognize them not as students, but as real teachers.”
The year-long teacher residency program is a win-win, said Gray. It allows school districts to increase staff at no cost and its graduates have so far enjoyed a 100% hire rate. But it can prove to be an expensive opportunity.
“While we have provided a small stipend to our year-long interns in the past, and they may occasionally serve as paid substitute teachers in their respective schools, this grant will enable us to provide them more financial support,” said Gray.
Other recipients of this year’s SEED Grants include the Albuquerque Public Schools’ and the University of New Mexico College of Education’s Teacher Residency Partnership, the Apple Tree Fellows Program in Washington, D.C., and the New Visions for Public Schools in New York, N.Y.
For more information about Wilmington University’s College of Education or its year-long teacher residency program, contact Dr. John Gray at (302) 295-1139 or john.c.gray@wilmu.edu.
