Program Overview
UNC Charlotte Teacher Quality Partnership participants will have the opportunity to 1) gain dual (initial) licensure in both a high-needs content area (mathematics, science, English language arts, Career and Technical Education, or foreign language) and a K-12 license to teach English as a second language, and 2) complete a master’s (advanced license) degree in less than 18 months. Upon completion of the initial licensure residency program (Phase I), candidates then complete additional online coursework (Phase II) to complete the Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) with a concentration in one of the required focus areas (mathematics, science, English language arts, Career and Technical Education, or foreign language).
To maximize convenience and affordability, while still adhering to a practice-based approach to teacher preparation, the program offers a 100% online approach that includes a combination of online instruction with meaningful clinical experiences in K-12 classrooms.
Program Characteristics
Financial Support
Students admitted to the UNC Charlotte Teacher Quality Partnership program receive a living wage stipend in the amount of $39,000 to cover the full cost of tuition, supplies, and additional expenses. They also receive a textbook allowance. The program is open to aspiring teachers in mathematics, science, English language arts, Career and Technical Education (CTE), and foreign language. Eligible candidates who receive the stipend must commit to teaching at a high-need school in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) for a minimum of three years.
Meaningful Clinical Experiences
Meaningful clinical partnerships are the foundation of UNC Charlotte teacher preperation programs. Faculty collaborated to develop a progression of meaningful clinical experiences that are connected to coursework. These clinical experiences are differentiated for traditional teacher candidates and residency teachers and provide opportunities for candidates to practice the skills learned in coursework and receive feedback from their mentor teacher.
Capable Mentor Teachers
Mentoring and coaching are critical components of the UNC Charlotte Teacher Residency Program. Candidates will receive mentoring support from their assigned CMS K-12 mentoring teacher, along with the support from the University Supervisor. To ensure high quality mentoring, we will use rigorous criteria to select CMS mentors. These mentors will share content area expertise, have a minimum of three years of teaching experience with their mentee, be recommended by their principal, collaborate with colleagues to improve instruction, and demonstrate evidence of teaching effectiveness.
Student Community
The UNC Charlotte Teacher Quality Partnership is cohort-based. Each summer (Semester 1), cohorts of 12 teacher candidates start the program. We will hold an annual orientation to familiarize all candidates with program requirements and expectations and help foster a sense of community among candidates. As candidates progress to content-specific coursework in Semester 2 (Fall), they will work with colleagues who share content area expertise and develop their own networks of content-specific support. Students are also provided release time to use substitute teachers, allowing opportunities to co-plan, co-teach, and participate in team meetings and professional development activities.
Ongoing Support for New Teachers
The UNC Charlotte Teacher Quality Partnership offers continued mentoring and coaching support to teacher candidates through an established and highly effective induction program. Upon completion of Phase I of the residency program, all graduates will receive two years of support from a trained coach through the North Carolina New Teacher Support Program (NTSP), a statewide program designed to reduce attrition.
Recruitment of High Quality Teacher Candidates and Candidates of Color
UNC Charlotte will take steps to ensure selection of candidates with diversity in mind. The inclusion of CMS district administration in the interview and selection process will help to ensure that selected candidates reflect the diversity of students found in their schools. To help retain candidates of color, UNC Charlotte has partnered with CMS to launch a new initiative called The Making Education for New Teachers Obtain Results (M.E.N.T.O.R.) Program. The initiative focuses on pairing minority student teacher candidates with mentor teachers of the same race/ethnicity in schools to provide social/emotional support during the candidates’ practicum and provide the candidate a “model” for success.
Strong Partnership Between the University and School District
The UNC Charlotte Teacher Quality Partnership was developed in collaboration with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS), with which it has a longstanding and mutually-beneficial partnership.