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As States Expand Use of Teacher Apprenticeship Programs, EdTrust Research Finds Ways to Improve Candidate Success
Study of Experience of Candidates of Color Finds Need for Better Recruitment, Mentorship, Financial Support

 WASHINGTON – An excellent teacher is the top in-school factor for determining students’ success, and nearly every state has turned to registered teacher apprenticeship programs (RTAPs) to widen the pool of educator candidates.

Today, EdTrust released a first-of-its-kind paper, studying the experiences of candidates of color in RTAP programs in Tennessee and Texas. Based on qualitative interviews with 32 candidates, EdTrust created recommendations for how programs can better support candidates, including:

• Invest in recruitment strategies, rather than relying on word of mouth. Many candidates left researchers with the impression that their participation in an RTAP was more a matter of luck than any concerted recruitment.
• Provide apprentices adequate and valuable mentorship, including by establishing criteria for selecting mentor teachers, and ensuring that apprentices are not used as long-term substitutes or as teachers of record.
• Make participation financially feasible for all candidates and communicate information on costs clearly. Although an apprenticeship is more affordable than a traditional four-year degree pathway to a teaching career, participation in a teacher apprenticeship still carries financial burdens for candidates.

Though each RTAP is set up slightly differently, in general, teacher apprentices take required higher education courses, learn under the supervision of an experienced mentor teacher, and earn a salary while completing their studies to become a certified teacher. These programs, which often target paraprofessionals and other adults already working in schools, can strengthen and diversify the teaching profession by opening doors to those who may not be able to enter the field via more traditional pathways. They are funded through a mix of local, state, and federal funds, utilizing grants from the U.S. Department of Labor, and via federal teacher training grants, which have been cut this year.

“RTAPs have been shown to be an innovative, cost-effective way to expand the pool of teachers, and attract more diverse candidates to the field. States should do what they can to ease candidates’ participation, for example by making it easier to transfer college credits, and advocate with the federal government to ensure continued funding for the programs. Reductions in state and federal funding will push costs back on to teacher candidates, which could jeopardize candidates’ participation and threaten the programs’ futures,” said Nathan Kriha, P-12 policy analyst at EdTrust and one of the report’s authors.

“Registered teacher apprenticeships are redefining what it means to enter the teaching profession,” said Dr. Diarese George, founder and former executive director of the Tennessee Educators of Color Alliance and co-author of the report. “These programs demonstrate that when we remove financial barriers, prioritize mentorship, and design pathways rooted in equity, we can attract and retain the diverse, skilled educators our students deserve. Sustaining and scaling high-quality RTAPs is not just good policy — it’s an investment in the future of our schools and communities.”

“Schools across Texas have become increasingly reliant upon under-prepared and uncertified teachers,” said Jonathan Feinstein, state director of EdTrust in Texas and a co-author of the report. “Now that state policymakers have passed historic investments in high-quality teacher preparation — including ‘grow your own’ pathways for employed paraprofessionals — it is more important than ever to center the success of aspiring educators.”

The first RTAP program started just three years ago, and there are more than 3,400 active teacher apprentices as of early October, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

EdTrust has also released a 50-state scan of RTAP programs, and a paper with recommendations on how to improve aspiring educators’ pathway into the classroom in Texas.

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About EdTrust

EdTrust is committed to advancing policies and practices to dismantle the racial and economic barriers embedded in the American education system. Through our research and advocacy, EdTrust improves equity in education from preschool through college, engages diverse communities dedicated to education equity and justice, and increases political and public will to build an education system where students will thrive.