The Model Itself or Something Else? Whether and How the Transition from Traditional Preparation to Teacher Residency Model Impacts the Outcomes of Graduates

Studies of teacher residencies highlight their potential to increase the diversity and persistence of the workforce while addressing district staffing shortages. However, prior research is largely unable to directly attribute these promising trends to the programmatic elements of the residency model itself. Using a novel statewide survey and leveraging temporal variation in when predominantly undergraduate traditional teacher preparation programs across Tennessee reported becoming residencies, we estimate the causal impacts of adoption of the model on recruitment, employment, retention, and effectiveness. We generate skepticism that any improvements in diversity, employment, and retention stem from this transition; however, we find suggestive evidence that adoption may increase the instructional effectiveness and—somewhat surprisingly—the likelihood of migration across schools and districts of graduates.