Citizen Schools Launching Expanded Day Educator Residency - Request for Proposals

Citizen Schools is excited to launch Expanded Day Educator Residency, an innovative program combining our successful Expanded Learning Time model with comprehensive teacher preparation for educators entering the field through our teaching fellowship.  We are currently seeking Institutes of Higher Education or credentialing partners that share our vision for developing teachers that can accelerate student achievement in our partner school districts.  The Request for Proposals, including dates for informational and Q&A webinars, is below. Please contact Mike Malkoff, Citizen Schools' National Director of Training and Support, at mikemalkoff@citizenschools.org if you have any questions. Upcoming informational and Q & A webinar: 

If you have any questions as you are completing the proposal or would like to hear an overview of the program from Citizen Schools and UTRU staff, please contact Mike Malkoff (contact information above) to register for the following webinar: Friday, December 13th at 12:00 PM EST

1.  Please join my meeting, Dec 13, 2013 at 12:00 PM EST. https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/896747053 2.  Use your microphone and speakers (VoIP) - a headset is recommended. Or, call in using your telephone. Dial +1 (213) 289-0010 Access Code: 896-747-053 Audio PIN: Shown after joining the meeting; Meeting ID: 896-747-053

DEADLINE FOR PROPOSALS: December 23rd, 2013 at 5:00 p.m.

EXPANDED DAY EDUCATOR RESIDENCY

Request for Proposals:

PURPOSE Through this RFP, Citizen Schools seeks to enter into partnership with an Institution of Higher Education (IHE) or teacher certification provider to design and deliver an Expanded Day Educator Residency (EDER) program.

ORGANIZATIONAL BACKGROUNDS Citizen Schools: Dedicated to helping children discover and achieve their dreams, Citizen Schools uses an innovative model to help close the opportunity and achievement gap in low-income communities. Citizen Schools expands the learning day by mobilizing community volunteers to provide hands-on, experiential learning, and Citizen Schools National Teaching Fellows to deliver rigorous academic instruction grounded in best practices. Since its inception in 1995, Citizen Schools has proven that additional hands-on learning and rigorous academic instruction in the critical middle school years can have lasting impact on student outcomes.

Urban Teacher Residency United: Founded in 2007, UTRU is the only organization in the nation dedicated to developing, launching, supporting, and accelerating the impact of residency programs. UTRU partners with school districts, charter management organizations, institutions of higher education, not-for-profits, and states to develop teacher residency programs as quality pipelines of effective and diverse new teachers. UTRU supports 20 Network partner residency programs that have prepared over 500 residents and support more than 1,000 graduates across the country in high-need schools.

RESIDENCY PROGRAM The Citizen Schools EDER program is designed to accelerate student achievement in partner school districts through the recruitment, preparation, and support of highly skilled and diverse new teachers. The program is an innovative partnership between Citizen Schools and its school districts/Local Education Agencies (LEAs). Urban Teacher Residency United will act as expert consultant around the design and launch of the EDER program.

Pioneered in the early 2000s in Boston, Chicago, and Denver, urban teacher residency programs adapt the medical residency model to teacher preparation and are designed to provide residents with the skills, knowledge, and practical experiences necessary to become effective urban teachers. The EDER program represents an innovation on the traditional teacher residency model as the only expanded day residency program in the nation. The EDER program will prepare Citizen Schools Teaching Fellows (TFs) to be highly effective teachers by providing:

  • A two-year AmeriCorps Teaching Fellowship that includes year-round training, professional development, and ongoing evaluation and feedback
  • A rigorous, year-long classroom apprenticeship and mentoring experience with a highly-effective district teacher focused on student learning and effective instructional practice
  • Concentrated and aligned coursework culminating in a Master’s Degree and/or teacher certification;
  • Experience actively engaging families and volunteers in the education of students through the Citizen Schools model
  • A collaborative cohort experience with fellow TFs who share a passion for urban education

PARTNERSHIP OVERVIEW Citizen Schools seeks Institutions of Higher Education (IHE) or teacher certification providers that share its vision for improving the academic futures of low-income, high-need children and youth in partner LEAs. This IHE/certification provider will provide a Master’s Degree and/or teacher certification to TFs who successfully complete the program, and will commit to ensuring that coursework is aligned to the Citizen Schools’ program model. Applicants to the program will be recruited and accepted based on selection criteria jointly established by the program partners, and will complete the program of preparation, which is organized around an expanded day residency experience. Mentor teachers will be required to participate in professional development for this role. The program is a one-year apprentice-style program of study, which will take place during the second year of a two-year AmeriCorps Teaching Fellowship. At the completion of the residency year, TFs will be eligible to earn a teaching license. LEA partners will interview program graduates and determine qualifications for full-time positions within their respective districts.

The IHE or teacher certification provider will be asked to fulfill the following roles and responsibilities:

  • Make appropriate personnel available to serve on the program’s steering committee and on relevant subcommittees
  • Collaboratively develop selection criteria for program participants (Teaching Fellow residents and mentor teachers) and participate in the recruitment and selection process for both
  • Communicate the admissions requirements for the IHE and oversee the admissions process for selected candidates
  • Modify or develop teacher preparation scope, sequence, and content in response to the Citizen Schools’ program model, training model, and context in which the EDER graduates will teach
  • Collaboratively design and implement the EDER program, including making proposed curriculum changes and submitting these changes to all partners in time to meet any university or other deadlines
  • Pursue grants or other fundraising opportunities or supply necessary supporting documents for whichever partner is the fiscal agent for a given grant
  • Award a Master’s degree and/or teacher certification to all candidates who successfully complete the program, meet graduation requirements and are in good standing as determined by the program
  • With Teaching Fellow consent, collect and share course assessment data (and Teaching Fellow performance data) for the purposes of program evaluation and ongoing improvement
  • Collaboratively recruit, select and approve program course instructors
  • Align field support with support provided by Citizen Schools staff to create a cohesive coaching experience for residents

During the 2013-2014 academic year, EDER partners will engage in thorough program planning and design. This will require ongoing collaboration, including planning meetings, development of core curricular and program documents, site visits to model residency programs, and other activities to ensure a successful launch. The program will launch during the 2014-2015 academic year in California (Oakland Unified School District and Alum Rock Union School District), New York (NYC Department of Education), Massachusetts (Boston Public Schools), and Texas (Houston Independent School District).

SELECTION AND ELIGIBILITY Citizen Schools will prioritize the following criteria when selecting an IHE or teacher certification provider:

  • Commitment to the EDER program’s mission and vision
  • Institutional support for launching and sustaining a residency program
  • History of effective partnerships and strong track record of serving urban school districts as demonstrated by impact on student achievement
  • Ability to create a tailored curriculum for the needs of Citizen Schools and its partner LEAs
  • Flexibility and willingness to make changes to address the EDER program’s needs and goals
  • Ability to allocate resources to the EDER program
  • Ability to accept the AmericCorps Education Award as part of tuition for the program
  • Demonstrate a track record of strong fundraising
  • Ability to hold courses before 2:00 PM and/or after 6:00 PM or on Saturdays to accommodate residents’ Expanded Learning Time teaching responsibilities

Note: Preference will be given to IHEs/certification providers who can serve multiple states and can develop a one-year residency program in partnership with Citizen Schools.

REQUIRED INFORMATION Interested Institutions of Higher Education and teacher certification providers should submit the following by email no later than Monday, December 23, 2013, to Mike Malkoff at mikemalkoff@citizenschools.org. Final submissions should be no more than 5 pages, single-spaced, excluding resumes of key personnel. Questions can be sent to the same email address.

1. A description of your organization’s qualifications and how the tasks outlined above would be carried out 2. Resumes of key personnel who would be involved in the project 3. Contact information for representatives of three schools or school districts you have partnered with recently who can act as references (please accompany with data regarding the success of recent partners, if available) 4. Estimated tuition and other costs per enrolled resident and a list of potential ways those costs can be reduced for high-potential residents 5. The specific credentials that could be offered to our residents 6. A summary of how you would plan to evaluate the impact of the program

INFORMATIONAL WEBINARS If you have any questions as you are completing the proposal or would like to hear an overview of the program from Citizen Schools and UTRU staff, please contact Mike Malkoff (contact information above) to register for he following webinar: Friday, December 13th at 12:00 PM EST

DEADLINE FOR PROPOSALS: December 23rd, 2013 at 5:00 p.m.

Alfredo PadillaELT, expanded learning time, National Teaching Fellowship, Teaching Fellow