Angelo State University has joined with the University-School Partnerships for the Renewal of Educator Preparation (US PREP) National Center to launch an innovative new teacher preparation program for ASU students in partnership with the San Angelo Independent School District.
In place of the standard approach that has student-teachers spend 16 weeks being gradually phased into a classroom teaching situation in a school district of their choosing, the US PREP approach features a yearlong residency that allows student-teachers to experience the beginning of the school year, the end of the year, and everything in between in specific partner school districts.
ASU student-teachers accepted into the program will be known as Ram Residents. They will be paired with SAISD teachers to team-teach their classes. The mentor teachers and Ram Residents will work so closely in tandem that it is likely the K-12 students in their classes will not realize the difference.
“There is a lot of research behind this that shows it is beneficial for the college students who are preparing to be classroom teachers, it’s beneficial for the cooperating teachers who mentor them, and it’s also beneficial for the students in those classes,” said Dr. Kim Livengood, interim chair of the ASU Teacher Education Department. “It’s a different approach that is totally focused on preparing our students to be day-one-ready teachers.”
ASU was selected to join the US PREP coalition of universities in May 2022. Livengood and her team have spent the last year solidifying the new partnership with the SAISD and making sure all the right people and resources are lined up for the first cohort of up to 10 Ram Residents who will begin team-teaching in SAISD classrooms this fall.
The Ram Residents will join the SAISD with the same treatment as new teachers rather than as student-teachers, including participating in the opening convocation.
“The SAISD has been a phenomenal partner in this program,” said Dr. Scarlet Clouse, dean of the ASU College of Education. “Together, we are transforming the traditional model of teacher preparation in San Angelo. This has never been done before, and it’s awesome to see it unfold.”
ASU announced its first cohort of Ram Residents during a ceremony on May 11 on campus. The number of Ram Residents in future cohorts is expected to increase as the program expands, and ASU is also pursuing new US PREP partnerships with additional local and area school districts.
