School of Education

The UWL Paid Teacher Residency Program (TRP) is a mission driven program supported by committed donors and partnerships. It began in the 2025-26 school year with a cohort of ten talented future teachers.

TRP brings together UWL faculty and students, PK-12 school partners and donors to support innovative solutions that address the teacher crisis and address workforce development needs. TRP supports current and future educators through a co-teaching model for Elementary Middle Education/Special Education majors that helps equip teachers in new collaborative ways to meet the needs of all learners.

The purpose of a paid teacher residency program is to prepare new teachers for long-term success in the classroom by offering hands-on, immersive training in a real school environment — while providing financial support

1. Students indicate interest in TRP when they apply to the School of Education. This is typically the semester before Field 1 begins. 
2. During the Field 1 semester, a link to the electronic application will be sent to those who indicated interest and who meet the requirements of the TRP program. 
3. Applications will be forwarded to a committee formed within the School of Education and residents will be admitted based on a number of factors/qualifications, including but not limited to the number of available placements as well as GPA & student dispositions and success in Field 1 and faculty recommendations.

*Students who are interested in both the Luxembourg and TRP experiences will need their preferred option. 

Criminal Background Check (CBC) Policy

All teacher candidates must complete the designated national criminal background check process upon admission to the School of Education (SOE). In compliance with WI PI 34.0182(2), all license preparation programs with admissions processes have incorporated a CBC as part of the admissions requirement.  CBCs performed for another institution or agency cannot be accepted, including those for graduate programs leading to certification.

All CBCs ordered by SOE will be good for five years (for SOE purposes) for every SOE student.  Additional CBCs may also be required by specific placement sites and programs (i.e. ECE requires a CBC by Department of Children and Families prior to beginning the ECE Block placements).  

Any teacher candidate who completed a CBC as part of a pre-admission field experience will still need to complete a CBC at the time of admission. SOE complies with the UWL Youth Protection Policy. 

Any teacher candidate previously admitted to a teacher certification program at UWL, who has a current CBC on file through admission or a field experience, and is adding another certification or is changing programs (i.e. new admission), does not need a new CBC unless their old one has expired or is required by the placement site or program. 

Teacher candidates will be notified by email if they are required to complete or update a background check and are responsible for all costs associated with the criminal background checks.  It is the teacher candidate’s responsibility to follow the instructions and complete the process by the dates specified.

Teacher candidates who have had an international address in the last seven years need to contact the Field Experience Office prior to initiating the online criminal background check.

Policies and procedures must be followed for teacher candidates to receive a placement. Teacher candidates are required to notify the Office of Field Experience if they receive any new charges, citations, or are being investigated by any governmental agency for any act or offense. Notification needs to happen as soon as possible, but no later than the next day they are expected to attend the student teaching or intern placement.  Failure to do so may result in termination from participation in field experience or student teaching placements.

Procedures for the Criminal Background Check                        
Criminal background check policies and procedures will be shared with teacher candidates upon admission to the School of Education.

If a teacher candidate has not yet completed a criminal background check (or needs it updated), the Office of Field Experience will email the criminal background check instructions to those teacher candidates needing a CBC. The School of Education records the CBCs conducted each semester.

When creating placements, the School of Education considers several factors:

• Available funding (i.e. how many TRs can be paid)
• Which grade levels are available to take a TR
• The TR’s prior field experiences
• Faculty recommendations

And, in some cases:

• The TR’s preferences 
• The SDLAX’s preferences

In the 2026-27 school year, the UWL Paid Teacher Residency will place eight students within the School District of La Crosse. Upon proficient completion of the residency program, and if appropriate teaching positions are available, the highly trained TR will become teachers of record in the School District of La Crosse for a minimum of one year.

The partnership schools for the 2026/27 school year are:

• Hamilton Elementary (Jenna Fernholz, Principal)
• Hintgen Elementary (Amy Oliver, Principal)
• Summit Elementary (Oscar Uribe Mardones, Principal)
• Logan Middle School (Kelly Schmitz, Principal)

 Head to this site to find out more information about the School District of La Crosse. 

Professional Development Overview

In an effort to build on best practices, each Mentor and Resident will participate in professional development and training at least once per month. Some professional development days will coincide with district PD days, some will be paid outside of the work day. These trainings are organized thematically around the program’s prioritized skills including Co-Teaching, Co-Planning, and other Teacher Residency programming. 

Acting as a bridge between the educational theories learned in coursework and the everyday skills developed in the practicum, monthly professional development will engage Mentor and Resident in a wide range of activities & skills. Some examples include reading and discussing articles pertaining to current educational trends and policies at the local and national level, analysis of key problems of practice, collaborative problem solving around critical incidents from the classroom, co-planning to co-serve, and learning and developing new classroom techniques will be common components to professional development.

Co-teaching

The art of co-teaching consists of: Co-Plan, Co-Instruct, and Co-Assess. 

What is Co-Teaching?

Co-Teaching is defined as two or more teachers, working together with groups of students, sharing the planning, organization, delivery, and assessment of instruction, as well as the physical space.

Co-Teaching is a way…

• To build stronger connections between universities and school partners
• To provide both support and professional development for MT(s)s
• To increase opportunities for placements
• To better meet Pre-K through 12 student needs
• For TR and MT(s)s to build strong relationships
• For TR to have more opportunities to teach
• For TR and MT(s)s to enhance their communication
• To induct and mentor TR

Why Co-Teach?

• Increases instructional options for all students
• Addresses the size of today's classrooms
• Increases instructional options for all students
• Enhances classroom management
• Provides mentoring and guidance throughout the experience
• Creates an opportunity to plan, teach and evaluate as a team
• Helps develop knowledge, skills, and dispositions for teaching
• Improves the academic performance of students in the classroom

Resources

https://spedsupport.tea.texas.gov/sites/default/files/2023-08/guidelines-for-co-teaching-in-texas.pdf

CO-TEACHING STRATEGIES

GRADUAL ASSUMPTION OF RESPONSIBILITY 

TRP is designed to support a gradual assumption of teaching responsibilities that allows residents to develop the knowledge, skills, and confidence necessary for successful classroom leadership. During Student Teaching I (Semester 1), residents will be in their placement for half days and will progressively increase their instructional responsibilities through co-planning, co-teaching, and independent teaching opportunities under the guidance of their MT(s).

The Teacher Residency Program leads to dual licensure in both General Education and Special Education, residents are expected to develop competencies in both instructional settings throughout the residency experience. During Student Teaching I, residents will spend their half-day placement working collaboratively with both their general education and special education MT(s). The MT(s) are encouraged to develop a mutually beneficial schedule that allows the resident to gain meaningful experiences in each setting while maintaining continuity of instruction and relationships with students.

Throughout Semester 1, residents should gradually assume responsibilities associated with both classroom environments. In addition to developing skills in lesson planning, classroom management, and content instruction within the general education classroom, residents should begin participating in the work of the special education teacher. This may include observing and supporting the implementation of IEPs, 504s & students with additional learning needs, collecting and analyzing student data, assisting with progress monitoring, facilitating small-group and individualized instruction aligned to IEP goals, and learning how accommodations and modifications are implemented across educational settings.The TR should be working with their general education setting to support students in their classroom with additional learning needs, but also assist the special education MT across other grade levels supported while schedules allow. 

The goal of  ST1is for TRs to begin understanding how general education and special education services work together to support student success (UDL model & Co-teaching). By the end of the semester, TRs should be actively engaged in co-planning, co-teaching, progress monitoring, implementation of IEP goals, and collaborative problem-solving across both educational settings.  Below is an example of expected gradual assumption of responsibility. We realize all classrooms and MTs are different and experiences may vary slightly with the assumption of responsibilities. Special Education setting expectations and release models will vary with student need and MT(s) discretion/case loads. 

During Weeks 1–3, the resident's primary responsibilities include observing instructional practices, building relationships with students, learning/introducing classroom routines and procedures, and assisting the MT(s) with daily rituals, transitions, and classroom management. This initial phase provides an opportunity for residents to understand the culture, expectations, and instructional practices of the classroom & MT(s)s to get to know the residents teaching style, disposition, and experience. 

During Weeks 3–6, TRs will begin assuming responsibility for planning and facilitating the classroom's morning meeting or equivalent community-building routines. TRs should collaborate with their MT(s) to develop and implement engaging morning meeting experiences while continuing to support other classroom responsibilities.  During this phase, residents may also begin facilitating a WIN (What I Need) group, intervention group, or other small-group instructional opportunities to further develop their instructional decision-making and assessment practices.

During Weeks 6–10, residents will assume responsibility for one core academic subject area through a co-planning and co-teaching model. This subject should be selected collaboratively with the MT(s) and is expected to serve as the focus area for the resident's edTPA planning and implementation. If a WIN/intervention group was not already assumed, the resident should begin facilitating a WIN (What I Need) group, intervention group, or other small-group instructional opportunities. 

Beginning in Week 10 and continuing through the end of Semester 1, TRs will assume responsibility for an additional subject area and gradually increase their instructional leadership. The pace and scope of additional responsibilities should be determined collaboratively by the MT(s) and TRs based on demonstrated readiness, student needs, and classroom context. By the end of Student Teaching I, residents should be actively engaged in planning, instruction, assessment, and classroom management across multiple content areas in the regular education setting and special education setting with an emphasis on co-teaching and co-planning to co-serve. 

During Student Teaching II (Semester 2), TRs transition to full-day placement responsibilities and continue building upon the instructional responsibilities established during Semester 1. Residents should gradually assume increased responsibility for co-planning and co-teaching across most or all subject areas while deepening their involvement in the responsibilities of both the general education and special education classroom teachers. This includes participation in progress monitoring, implementation of IEP goals and accommodations, family communication, data collection, collaborative problem-solving, and other professional responsibilities expected of classroom educators.

Throughout Semester 2, residents will work toward demonstrating competence in independently planning, instructing, assessing, and managing learning environments across both settings. This progression culminates in three to four lead teaching weeks within each placement setting, during which the resident assumes primary responsibility for all instructional and professional duties associated with that classroom. During lead teaching weeks, the resident reports directly to the MT in the lead-teaching placement and is not expected to divide responsibilities between MTs. Both MTs remain available for support, mentoring, and feedback while allowing the resident to experience the full scope of classroom leadership in the regular education setting and special education setting. 

The gradual assumption of responsibility model is intended to provide a supportive framework that promotes professional growth, reflective practice, and increasing independence while ensuring high-quality learning experiences for all students.