Use of a Residency Program in Preservice Teacher Preparation

The training and retention of special education teachers is a critical need in the education field. One innovation that can be used in educator preparation programs to better prepare teachers is to establish a residency model. In this model, preservice teachers work as full-time teachers, while also completing their coursework. They receive support from university faculty and peers during this structured first year of teaching. This chapter will explore the need for residency programs, possible features and structures, short and long-term benefits, and potential challenges. In addition, this chapter explores ways to incorporate high-leverage practices into residency coursework.