California has made a major investment in teacher residencies through the California Teacher Residency Grant Program (TRGP), allocating over $600 million in successive rounds of funding to launch and expand teacher residencies throughout the state.

This evaluation brief presents five barriers to the long-term sustainability and scale of TRGP-funded residencies. Across these specific barriers, two key structural problems with the TRGP are evident: most residents are not yet receiving the necessary financial support to make residencies an affordable option, and many residency programs are not yet structured to scale and sustain beyond the life of the TRGP.

WestEd’s evaluation data suggests a coordinated state effort is needed to:

  • Increase the size of the total financial package for teacher residents, with special
    attention to resident pay and benefits.
  • Bolster staffing capacity and collaboration structures across the IHE and LEA to support
    effective implementation and scaling of residencies.
  • Leverage requirements, incentives, and technical assistance to ensure successful
    residencies can be sustained after one-time funds have expired.