Teacher Residency Program

• A selective program for prospective teachers to teach in Mississippi schools
• A model that blends one year of classroom apprenticeship experience with master's level course-work
• Additional focus on recruiting individuals from backgrounds in underrepresented areas to include diverse ethnicity and males

• Earn a Master's Degree in Elementary Education from William Carey University
• Coursework designed to support an additional endorsement in special education
• Placement support in Picayune, Covington County, Forrest County, Laurel Public, Stone, Vicksburg-Warren, Yazoo County, and Greenville Public Schools (3 year teaching commitment required)
• A way to share professional expertise and a passion for teaching and learning
• A rewarding career with the opportunity to have a positive influence on young people

• Begin course work at WCU in mid-June 2023
• Start residency year June of 2023
• Partner with a mentor in an elementary school in the partner district
• Intern in a classroom a minimum of 15 hours per week
• Attend WCU courses on-line, hybrid, or face-to-face
• Commit to teach in the partner district Districts' for three years
• Complete the Foundations of Reading and Professional Knowledge Test during the program

• Undergraduate degree in an applicable field
• GPA of 3.0 or higher in the last 60 credit hours of study
• A passion and desire to make a difference through teaching

Mississippi Department of Education Teacher Residency Information and Application: https://www.mdek12.org/OTL/MTR

PRAXIS Testing: https://www.ets.org/praxis/ms

The Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) and the Office of Teaching and Leading (OTL) aspire to provide culturally and linguistically competent residents with tools to become certified educators to meet the needs of Mississippi’s diverse and changing educational programs across the state through leadership, collaboration and service.

The mission of the Mississippi Teacher Residency (MTR) Program is to create opportunities for individuals who aspire to become an effective teacher in diverse classrooms and provide ALL students of Mississippi a deserved world-class education.

Recruit, prepare, and graduate an increasing number of academically talented, diverse candidates from under-represented groups each year as highly qualified elementary education and special education teachers for high-need schools;

Design and implement a 12-month teacher residency program for partnership schools that culminates in MS teacher certification and an undergraduate degree;

Collaborate with partners including Mississippi public schools and educators, school leaders, teacher education and Arts and Sciences faculty, and community-based organizations (CBOs)  to implement and continually improve the teacher residency program; 

Design and implement innovative curricula for the preparation of teacher residents to address the needs presented by students in high-need schools;

Support the professional development of teachers and leaders in partnership schools, and enhance the capacity of CBOs to work with teachers to meet the educational needs of communities;

Design and implement a two-year induction program to support the success and retention of program graduates; 

Engage stakeholders in a review of the residency program and to identify lessons that can be applied to other teacher education programs at MDE; Conduct research on the impact of teacher residency programs on teacher retention and student learning.