“I see the Alder Teacher Residency (ATR) as a program that really ensures teachers are ready to serve a classroom and community of historically underserved students. What I really appreciated about the residency was the amount of support I got from my director, mentor, fellow teachers and staff, and my cohort. Equity was a major part of the experience and making sure we knew where our students and families came from and how to best serve them.”

— Vitalis Obidi, Alum (Aspire Bay Area)

“There are so many benefits of the Alder residency program. Alder set me up for success by pairing me with a highly experienced teacher that I collaborated  with daily in my year long residency. The experience I received from my residency year was invaluable.  My favorite aspect of the Alder residency is that you are a real co-teacher for the entire school year. This allows you to build amazing relationships with your students and families, as well as colleagues. You really become a part of your school community.”

— Anita Rodriguez, Alum (Aspire Central Valley)

“As a resident, I taught in a safe, supported environment with an esteemed mentor and director who were able to provide real-time observations and coaching in order to help me make action-oriented reflections. I finished the yearlong program as a highly qualified credentialed teacher with a Master’s Degree. I was well-prepared for my first independent year teaching thanks to the supportive team the ATR program encompasses you with. Joining the ATR program was one of the best decisions I have ever made.”

— Shawna Koga, Alum and Mentor (Aspire Central Valley)

“The Alder Teacher Residency is an incredible pipeline that trains aspiring teachers with actual classroom experience working with a high-performing teacher while supporting them to earn their Master’s Degree simultaneously. The residents that we bring in to Aspire as first year teachers come to us with a level of experience, confidence, and knowledge that fast tracks their ability to connect with and impact scholars.”

— Mala Batra, CEO of Aspire Public Schools

Our mission is to create opportunity and cultivate success for every student by recruiting and educating excellent teachers and leaders who reflect the diversity of our schools’ communities.

Faculty continually gather qualitative and quantitative data on the success of our work and engage with research in education to evolve and refine our model. The results of our work are held up against our vision to prepare exceptional teachers who change students’ lives, and these data help us to continually improve our program.

Outcomes that we monitor include:

During Program

1. Completion rates
2. Resident demographics
3. Evidence of resident learning

Mentors, directors, and instructors closely monitor our students throughout their residency for the three elements that fundamentally characterize an Alder educator:

• Head: A well-developed philosophy of education that demonstrates a deep understanding of the theory and key research that form the foundation of the K–12 public school landscape.
• Heart: An approach to their craft that shows a sophisticated grasp of the current social justice landscape and a commitment to educational equity for all students.
• Hands: A strong grasp of the rigorous pedagogical skills that foster success in the classroom.

Detailed data regarding student performance is provided in the Annual Program Assessment Report. Completion rates disaggregated by ethnicity and gender can be viewed in the Alder Completion Rates Report. Information about Alder’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion is available in the Alder Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Statement.

Beyond Program

1. Hiring rates
2. Retention rates
3. Teaching effectiveness rates