UT Tyler, A&M Commerce Get Big Grant for Teacher Residency Program

TYLER – The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board has granted $1.29 million to collaborators the University of Texas at Tyler and Texas A&M University-Commerce to implement and evaluate what’s termed an innovative teacher residency program — said to be the first of its kind in Texas. According to information from both schools, The “Texas Teacher Residency Program (TRes): An Apprenticeship Model for Texas,” is based on the successful Urban Teachers Residency United Program in Chicago. It’s a one-year teacher residency program leading to a Master of Arts in Teaching degree and teacher certification in high school science or mathematics — fields in which teacher shortages persist, according to officials.

UT Tyler will partner with Tyler ISD on the project, while A&M-Commerce will team up with Mesquite ISD. The first cohort of residents is projected to have earned degrees and certifications by the end of August 2015, when TRes funding ends.