Residency Study OMB Package Part A (30 days)

The U.S. Department of Education (ED)’s Institute of Education Sciences (IES) requests clearance for data collection activities to evaluate teacher residency programs’ contributions to the teacher workforce. Specifically, this request covers the collection of data to understand the extent to which teacher residency programs funded by ED’s Teacher Quality Partnership (TQP) grants help diversify the teacher pipeline and fill hard-to-staff teaching positions in their partner districts. The Higher Education Act established the TQP program to support partnerships between teacher preparation programs and high-need districts to implement teacher residency programs. The study will collect data on newly hired teachers from the school districts and charter school networks (referred to throughout as “districts”) that partner with TQP grantees. If some districts are unable to provide data on new hires from TQP-funded residency programs, we will collect those data from TQP grantees.

The collection will allow the evaluation to examine not just the overall diversity of residency program graduates and the subject areas graduates are teaching but also how they are specifically filling the needs of individual partner districts. That is, this information collection will help answer a question about the extent to which residencies are achieving a key goal. This is particularly important given that a previously planned impact analysis, examining the effectiveness of residency programs, was not feasible.

A1. Circumstances making the collection of data necessary

Teacher residency programs are viewed as a potentially promising strategy for addressing teacher shortages—particularly in hard-to-staff subject areas such as math, science, and special education and in hard-to-staff schools—and expanding the diversity of the teacher workforce (U.S. Department of Education 2023; Worley and Zerbino 2023). Specifically, these programs combine education coursework with an extensive full-year apprenticeship or “residency,” under the supervision of an experienced mentor teacher. Title II of the Higher Education Act established the federal TQP grant program which supports partnerships between teacher preparation programs and high-need districts to implement teacher residency programs. The U.S. Department of Education (ED) has awarded more than $200 million in TQP grants over the past three years.

Despite substantial investment in teacher residency programs through the TQP program—as well as through the Augustus F. Hawkins Centers of Excellence program, Title IIA of the Every Student Succeeds Act, and state-level programs that support teacher residencies—there is limited evidence on whether residency programs help districts diversify their teacher workforce and fill hard-to-staff positions.

Diversify the teacher workforce. Two studies are somewhat dated, focusing on residency programs 15 to 20 years ago (Papay et al. 2012; Silva et al. 2014). One of these studies found that teachers hired from the long-running Boston Teacher Residency program were more diverse than new hires from other routes (Papay et al. 2012). The other study found that teachers hired from TQP-funded residency programs are not necessarily more diverse than teachers hired from other routes (Silva et al. 2014). A more recent study of residency programs in Pennsylvania found similar results but could only compare the characteristics of residency program participants to current teachers in their partner districts (the study could not compare new hires from residency programs to new hires from other routes) (Terziev and Forde 2021).
Fill hard-to-staff positions. There is mixed evidence on the extent to which new hires from residency programs are more likely to teach in hard-to-staff positions than new hires from other routes. A study of Louisiana’s teacher preparation reforms found that teachers who completed residency programs were not more likely to teach in rural schools, and did not examine results for other types of hard-to-staff schools (for example, Title I schools) (Goldhaber et al. 2022). The earlier study of TQP programs found that residency teachers were more likely to be hired into schools serving students from low-income families (Silva et al. 2014).

Given this limited, mixed and somewhat dated evidence, this study will help strengthen the evidence base on the extent to which TQP-funded residency programs help districts expand the diversity of their teacher workforce and fill hard-to-staff positions.¹

A2. Purpose and use of data

The study will collect data from the districts that partner with the FY2019 TQP grantees during the 2024–2025 school year to address the two research questions shown in Exhibit 1. The districts will use a data form to provide district-level counts of new hires (Appendix A). If a district partners with multiple residency programs—beyond the TQP-funded program—and cannot distinguish the number of new hires from the TQP-funded program, we will collect data on all residency new hires from the district and collect data on the TQP new hires from the TQP grantee (Appendix B). This approach will allow us to compare new hires from TQP-funded residency programs to new hires from non-residency routes into teaching. Exhibit 1 describes the data that will be collected, the data source, and how the data will be used.

Exhibit 1. Data sources for the study

Data	Data source	Use in study
Research question 1: To what extent do TQP-funded teacher residency programs help districts and charter networks diversify their teacher workforce?
District-level counts of TQP program new hires and new hires from other routes into teaching by race and ethnicity	District data form or (if unavailable from districts) TQP grant staff data form^a	Compare the proportion of TQP new hires to all other new hires
District-level counts of all teachers by race and ethnicity		Compare the race and ethnicity of TQP new hires to all other teachers in the districts
District-level counts of students by race and ethnicity	U.S. Department of Education’s Common Core of Data	Compare the race and ethnicity of TQP new hires to all students in the districts
Research question 2: To what extent do TQP-funded teacher residency programs help districts and charter networks fill hard-to-staff teaching positions?
District-level counts of TQP new hires and new hires from other routes by teaching position	District data form or (if unavailable from districts) TQP grant staff data form^a	Compare the proportion of TQP new hires teaching in hard-to-staff subject areas to the proportion of other new hires in these subject areas
District-level counts of TQP new hires and new hires from other routes who teach in hard-to-staff schools.		Compare the proportion of TQP new hires teaching in hard-to-staff schools to the proportion of other new hires in these schools

a. If districts partner with multiple residency programs—beyond the TQP-funded program—the study will collect information on all residency program hires from the district, and information on the TQP new hire counts from the TQP grantee (Appendix B). This will allow us to compare TQP new hires to new hires from other non-residency routes.

Given that the data collection is focused on the last year of the TQP grant, the study will collect contextual information about whether the TQP grant-funded residency programs sustained their programs beyond the grant period. The data workbook for grantees includes a question about whether the grantee is continuing its TQP grant-funded program and if so, a close-ended question about any program features that changed. If a grantee did not continue its program, the workbook asks a close-ended question about potential challenges that prevented the program from continuing.

The study will produce one publication that describes the findings (see Section A.16 for more details).

A3. Use of technology to reduce burden

The forms will be hosted in a user-friendly web-based format, accessible to respondents at their convenience via a personalized and secure web link. To reduce burden, the form will (1) include automated validation checks that minimize out-of-range or unallowable values (to reduce the need for follow-up after forms are completed), (2) use drop-down response categories so respondents can quickly select from a list, and (3) allow respondents to save responses and return to the form later to finish at their convenience.

A4. Efforts to identify and avoid duplication

There are no recent data sources that provide district-level information on new hires by preparation program type, race and ethnicity, teaching position, and school type across multiple districts. The TQP grantees collect data on program completers who are hired to teach in their partner districts and return for a second year of teaching. These data are collected to meet the TQP program’s Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 (GPRA) reporting requirements. However, these data are not disaggregated by race or ethnicity, teachers’ subject area, or school type, so the study will need to collect these disaggregated data. To avoid duplication, the study will use student demographic data from ED’s Common Core Data to obtain information on the race and ethnicity of districts’ students, rather than collecting these data from districts.

A5. Efforts to minimize burden on small businesses or other small entities

The study will not involve small businesses, but some of the school districts participating in the study could be considered small entities. The data collection procedures have been designed to minimize burden on school districts and residency programs, both large and small. The study team will provide district and TQP grant staff an Excel spreadsheet that they can use to complete the form at their convenience, to minimize any disruption to their regular responsibilities.

A6. Consequences of not collecting the information

The data collection described in this submission is necessary for ED to understand the extent to which residency programs funded through the TQP program are helping address district staffing needs. Failure to collect the data would prevent ED from understanding whether the federal investment in TQP-funded residency programs is leading to the desired outcomes of helping to diversify the teacher workforce and filling positions in hard-to-staff subject areas and schools.

A7. Special circumstances

In March 2024, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) announced revisions to Statistical Policy Directive No. 15: Standards for Maintaining, Collecting, and Presenting Federal Data on Race and Ethnicity (SPD 15) and published the revised SPD15 standard in the Federal Register (89 FR 22182). The present ICR contains no changes to the race and ethnicity items and is therefore compliant with the 1997 SPD15 standard. This is for two reasons. First, data for this collection will be reported in aggregate by school districts. Implementation of the revised SPD15 standards is just beginning and discussions with a small sample of districts suggests they would not be able to provide information using the revised categories. Second, a key purpose of this data collection is to compare the percentage of residency program new hires who are teachers of color to the percentage of students in the districts who are students of color based on ED’s Common Core of Data. However, the Common Core of Data collection has not yet transitioned to the revised SPD15 categories. In order to uphold plans to minimize burden to districts and assure high quality reporting, aligning the collection with currently used categories is important.

The Department is currently working on an action plan for compliance with the newly revised SPD15 standards, which will fully take effect on March 28, 2029. Early discussions suggest that implementation of these standards will be particularly complex and delicate in data collections where race and ethnicity data is reported both by individuals about themselves and also provided by third parties providing aggregate data on the individuals they serve and represent (e.g., state and local education agencies, institutions of higher education).

A8. Federal register announcement and consultation

a. Federal register announcement

A 60-day notice to solicit public comments was published in the Federal Register. Three public comments were received, two of which were substantive. A response to public comments is included in this ICR. A 30-day notice to solicit public comments will be published.

b. Consultations outside the agency

The study team will seek input on the proposed data collection from individuals with expertise in teacher preparation and research methods. This input helps ensure the study is of the highest quality and that findings are relevant to ED staff, policymakers, teacher preparation programs, and state and local education agencies. Table A.1 lists the individuals who will participate in the study’s technical working group meeting for this data collection, their current affiliation, and their relevant expertise.

Exhibit A.1. List of experts with their affiliation and title

Name	Title and affiliation
David Blazar	Associate Professor of Education Policy, University of Maryland
Kwame Floyd	Executive Director, Teacher Apprenticeship Network

A9. Payments to respondents

Mathematica proposes to compensate district and TQP grantee staff for the time and effort required to complete the form. As shown in Table A.2 below, we estimate that collecting the counts of new hires needed to complete the form will require approximately three hours for district staff and TQP grantee staff. Based on the hourly wage for “database administrators” in the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook ($40/hour), we propose $120 compensation for district and TQP grant staff who respond to the form.

A10. Assurances of confidentiality

Mathematica will administer this data collection in accordance with The Privacy Act of 1974, P.L. 93-579 (5 U.S.C. 552a) and The Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002, Title I, Part E, Section 183.The study team will protect the confidentiality of all data collected for the study and will use it for research purposes only. All Mathematica employees are required to sign a confidentiality pledge that emphasizes the importance of confidentiality and describes employees’ obligations to maintain it. All members of the study team have obtained their certification on using human subjects in research. This training addresses the importance of the confidentiality assurances given to respondents and the sensitive nature of handling data. When reporting the results, data will be presented only in aggregate form, such that individuals are not identified. The following or similar statement will be included in the request to complete the form:

“Responses to this data collection will be used only for research purposes. The report prepared for this study will summarize findings across the sample and will not associate responses with a specific district or TQP program.”

A11. Questions of a sensitive nature

The form does not include any questions of a sensitive nature.

A12. Estimated response burden

The respondent universe will consist of the 80 school districts and charter networks (referred to as “districts” throughout) that partner with the FY2019 TQP grantees. We anticipate a response rate of 85 percent for both districts and TQP grantees, resulting in a sample of 68 district staff and 26 TQP grantee staff. Completing the form, including providing the counts of new hires, for this data collection will require approximately three hours per district and TQP grantee, or a total of 282 hours for the 68 districts and 26 TQP grantees in the sample. This estimate is based on the study team’s pre-test of the data workbook with TQP grantees and their partner districts. We expect the forms will be completed by the district staff person responsible for managing the district’s database with teacher information and the TQP grant staff person responsible for tracking the hiring of program completers. This results in an estimated cost of $11,218.40 (Exhibit A.2).

Exhibit A.2. Estimate of respondent cost burden

Data collection	Annual salary estimate	Average hourly wage	Time per response (hours)	Cost per response	Total sample	Estimated response rate	Estimated number of respondents	Total cost for responses
District data staff
Form to collect counts of new hires	$82,780	$39.80^a	3.0	$119.20	80	85%	68	$8,119.20
TQP grantee staff
Form to collect counts of new hires in partner districts	$82,780	$39.80^a	3.0	$119.20	31	85%	26	$3,009.20
Total cost								$11,218.40

^a The cost for district data staff and TQP grantee staff is based on an average hourly wage of $39.80 in 2022 for database administrators in elementary and secondary schools (BLS 2023).

A13. Estimate of the cost burden to respondents

There are no additional costs to respondents associated with this data collection beyond the burden estimated in Exhibit A.2.

A14. Estimates of annualized government costs

The total cost to the federal government for this study, which includes the form in this ICR, data collection, analysis, and reporting, is $1,111,510. The average estimated annual cost over the 36-month study is $370,503.

A15. Changes in hour burden

This is a request for a new collection of information.

A16. Plans for tabulation and publication of results

The study will conduct descriptive analyses of the data to address the research questions:

Research Question 1: To what extent do residency programs help districts diversify their teacher workforce?

The study will compare the percentage of new hires who are teachers of color among (1) TQP-funded residency program new hires, (2) non-residency program new hires, and (3) all teachers in the district. It will also compare the percentage of residency program new hires who are teachers of color to the percentage of students in the districts who are students of color (based on ED’s Common Core of Data). These comparisons will provide a broader understanding of whether TQP new hires are improving the diversity of districts’ existing teachers and supplying new hires whose race and ethnicity is similar to that of districts’ students.

Research Question 2: To what extent do residency program help districts fill hard-to-staff positions?

The study will compare the percentage of residency program new hires who teach in subject areas that districts view as hard-to-staff to the percentage of non-TQP new hires who teach in these subjects. The study will conduct a similar comparison for the percentage of new hires in schools that the districts view as hard-to-staff.

The study will report the findings from these analyses in an IES snapshot that will be published on IES’s website in December 2026.

A17. Display of expiration date for OMB approval

IES is not requesting a waiver for the display of the OMB approval number and expiration date. The study will display the OMB expiration date.

A18. Exceptions to certification statement item 19 of OMB form 83-1

This submission does not require an exception to the Certificate for Paperwork Reduction Act (5 CFR 1320.9).

References

Goldhaber, Dan, Zeyu Xu, and Kata Mihaly. “The Louisiana Believe and Prepare Educator Preparation Reform: Findings from the Pilot and Early Implementation Years.” Washington, DC: Regional Educational Laboratory Southwest, Institute of Education Sciences, December 2022.

Papay, John, Martin West, Jon Fullerton, and Thomas Kane. “Does an Urban Teacher Residency Increase Student Achievement? Early Evidence from Boston.” Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, vol. 34, no. 12, December 2012, pp. 413-434.

Silva, Tim, Allison McKie, Virginia Knechtel, Philip Gleason, and Libby Makowski. “Teacher Residency Programs: A Multisite Look at a New Model to Prepare Teachers for High-Need Schools.” Washington, DC: National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Institute of Education Sciences, November 2014.

Terziev, Jeffrey, and Jasmine Forde. “Exploring Early Implementation of Pennsylvania’s Innovative Teacher and Principal Residency Grants.” Washington, DC: Regional Educational Laboratory Mid-Atlantic, Institute of Education Sciences, November 2021.

Worley, Lauren, and Nicolas Zerbino. “Teacher Residencies Offer Compelling Solution to Staffing Shortages, Although at a Large Investment.” Washington, DC: Brookings Institution, May 2023.

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). “May 2023 Occupation Profiles.” May 2023. Available at https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_stru.htm.

U.S. Department of Education. “Eliminating Educator Shortages through Increasing Educator Diversity and Addressing High-Need Shortage Areas.” Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education, November 2023.

1 The TQP grants typically support pre-baccalaureate teacher preparation programs and teacher residency programs. However, the 2019 TQP grant competition solely awarded grants for teacher residency programs.

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