20-4-702. Teacher residency program. (1) The superintendent of public instruction shall administer a teacher residency program in collaboration with school districts and professional educator preparation programs.

Terms Used In Montana Code 20-4-702

  • Board of public education: means the board created by Article X, section 9, subsection (3), of the Montana constitution and 2-15-1507. See Montana Code 20-1-101
  • Commissioner: means the commissioner of higher education created by Article X, section 9, subsection (2), of the Montana constitution and 2-15-1506. See Montana Code 20-1-101
  • Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
  • district: means the territory, regardless of county boundaries, organized under the provisions of this title to provide public educational services under the jurisdiction of the trustees prescribed by this title. See Montana Code 20-6-101
  • Partnership: A voluntary contract between two or more persons to pool some or all of their assets into a business, with the agreement that there will be a proportional sharing of profits and losses.
  • school: means an institution for the teaching of children that is established and maintained under the laws of the state of Montana at public expense. See Montana Code 20-6-501
  • Superintendent of public instruction: means that state government official designated as a member of the executive branch by the Montana constitution. See Montana Code 20-1-101
  • System: means the Montana university system. See Montana Code 20-1-101
  • Teacher: means a person, except a district superintendent, who holds a valid Montana teacher certificate that has been issued by the superintendent of public instruction under the provisions of this title and the policies adopted by the board of public education and who is employed by a district as a member of its instructional, supervisory, or administrative staff. See Montana Code 20-1-101
  • University: means the university of Montana-Missoula. See Montana Code 20-1-101

(2)The teacher residency program must involve:

(a)a shared vision and partnership between:

(i)a resident;

(ii)a teacher-leader;

(iii)a school district; and

(iv)an educator preparation program;

(b)ensuring that a resident possesses the cultural competencies to succeed and be an effective educator in the school hosting the resident;

(c)selection and training for teacher-leaders;

(d)a resident being matched with a school district that provides a high-quality and supportive experience for residents working with a teacher-leader;

(e)flexible course delivery to allow a resident to complete required credits in the resident’s preparation program;

(f)a cohort model with opportunities for virtual and in-person training and support;

(g)financial and other compensation for residents and teacher-leaders including:

(i)housing for the resident or a housing allowance provided to the resident by the host school district;

(ii)for a resident in a professional educator preparation program accredited by the board of public education, a last-dollar tuition grant to eliminate tuition costs for the resident for the year of the residency;

(iii)a stipend for the teacher-leader; and

(iv)compensation for the resident, a portion of which may be conditioned on completion of the program and the signing of a teaching contract in a Montana public school for the following year; and

(h)a methodology for evaluating the effectiveness of the program.

(3)The superintendent of public instruction may contract with a professional educator preparation program located in a unit of the Montana university system to coordinate the teacher residency program or aspects of the program.

(4)If a resident does not complete the program or does not teach in a Montana public school for 3 or more years within 5 years of completing the teacher residency program, the superintendent of public instruction shall inform the commissioner of higher education and the commissioner shall convert the amount of any tuition grant provided to the resident under the program to a loan.

(5)For the purposes of this part, the following definitions apply:

(a)”Professional educator preparation program” means a postsecondary program intended to lead to teacher licensure that is accredited by the board of public education or recognized by the board as an essentially equivalent program for teacher certification purposes.

(b)”Resident” means a student enrolled in a professional educator preparation program who is selected for participation in a teacher residency program as described in this section and who commits to teaching in a Montana public school following completion of the teacher residency program.

(c)”Teacher-leader” means an experienced classroom teacher who is selected to work with, coach, and mentor a resident.

(d)”Teacher residency program” or “program” means a partnership between a district and a professional educator preparation program to provide residents with a year-long, practice-based learning experience working directly with students in a manner that mirrors the experience of teachers in that school and meets the criteria of supervised teaching experience as defined by the board of public education.

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