The New Visions for Public Schools-Hunter College Urban Teacher Residency (UTR) project is a partnership between New Visions, the Hunter College Schools of Education and Arts and Sciences, and the New York City Department of Education. Much like doctors, aspiring teachers serve as residents as part of their preparation. They are teachers of record for one class and considered members of a school’s teaching faculty, but also have the support of a trained mentor teacher. UTR residents also take Hunter College classes, and engage in seminars and reviews with New Visions, which focus, among other topics, on using inquiry-based learning and student data to inform instruction. Funded in 2009 by U.S. Department of Education Transition to Teaching and Teacher Quality Partnership grants, the 5-year project is designed to increase the number of well-prepared teachers entering the city’s classrooms, provide ongoing support during the critical early years of teaching, and ultimately raise teacher retention rates and student achievement.

To assess the impact of the UTR model, REA is conducting surveys and focus groups with each cohort of UTR residents at key points during their 14-month program and during their first years as NYC public school teachers. REA is also gathering data from Hunter faculty and host school mentors and principals. Data collection focuses on residents’ preparation, readiness, confidence, and integration into school culture. REA is also reviewing achievement and other institutional data to assess the program’s impact on student performance. In the project’s final years, REA will also draw on other data sources, including state licensing and certification records, graduation rates, and NYC teacher retention rates.