Resident Educator Program

Click Here for Resident Educator Forms 

We are anxious to welcome our first year Resident Educators to our schools within the Diocese of Columbus.  For those of you beginning your second year, welcome back. We look forward to meeting you at our orientation sessions that will be held at the beginning of the school year. This school year, all of our orientation sessions will be held in person.  For your convenience and scheduling, a variety of orientation dates and times will be offered.  Orientation sessions and registration information will be posted later this summer. 

Ohio’s Resident Educator program is a four-year support system for new teachers.  Years 1 and 2 of the program are formative years, structured to assist new teachers with understanding of their areas of strength and areas for growth. In Year 2 or 3, teachers take a statewide summative assessment, and in Year 3 or 4, teachers continue to hone their teaching skills. The Ohio Resident Educator Program can be envisioned as a professional pathway to continued professional learning, leading educators to more effective practices and excellence in teaching.

Participation Requirements

1. Must hold a 4-year Ohio Resident Educator License or a 4-year Alternative Resident Educator License
2. Must teach at least two classes or .25 FTE in their area of licensure or in the area in which the teacher holds a supplemental teaching license.
3. Must have responsibility for planning and delivering standards-based, PreK-12 curriculum   to students and evaluating their progress.
4. Must work 120 days.
5. Must be assigned an ODE-certified, trained mentor by their school.
6. Must be registered with the state by their district.

Years 1 and 2

During the first two years of the Ohio Resident Educator Program, Resident Educator teachers are partnered with a state-certified instructional Mentor. Mentors play a key role in supporting beginning teachers as they actively analyze and reflect on their instructional decisions.
While mentoring overall addresses the instructional support resident educators need as they begin their professional teaching careers, focused mentoring is specific and targeted to address teacher competencies Ohio once measured in the Resident Educator Summative Assessment (RESA) in the years preceding 2017-2018. Through focused mentoring, teachers demonstrate their competency in the targeted skill areas at the local level instead of the state level.  

Focused mentoring is delivered in two parts. Focused Mentoring I targets professional growth and communication during year 1. Focused Mentoring II targets use of student formative and summative assessment in year 2. The goal is to provide a level of focused mentoring that supports growth in the practice of targeted areas.
 

Years 3 and 4

Resident Educator Summative Assessment (RESA)

 The RESA is a performance assessment that requires Resident Educators to demonstrate their knowledge and skills, as revealed in their day-to-day teaching. Performance assessments provide direct evidence of what teachers do in the classroom, supported by required written commentary that accurately reflect the daily work that teachers do.

The RESA consists of one task, the Lesson Reflection. Resident Educators are asked to provide evidence of how they implement the Teaching and Learning Cycle in their teaching to support important learning outcomes for all students. As participants in the assessment, REs will be prompted to reflect upon and synthesize what they have learned throughout the Resident Educator Program. After passing the RESA and completing four successful years as a Resident Educator, an individual can apply for a 5-Year Professional Teaching License.

 
Resident Educator Summative Assessment in Year 2 or 3
(new for school year 2018-2019)

Beginning in the 2018-2019 school year, the Office of Catholic Schools may permit a Year 2 Resident Educator to participate in the RESA after consulting with his or her local program coordinator and mentor. Those who do take the RESA in Year 2 also must participate in mentoring and be assigned a state-certified mentor and trained facilitator. Once a Year 2 Resident Educator is registered for the RESA, that individual must submit the Lesson Reflection to avoid having it counted as a failed attempt.

The Principal’s Role in the Resident Educator Program

The principals’ role in the Resident Educator Program cannot be underestimated. Principals establish a positive culture of support for resident educators and coordinate efforts to help REs become actively engaged in their school community. They create school structures that support teachers, providing instructional leadership, a climate of trust and building policies and professional practices that ensure that REs have an opportunity to be successful as teachers and learners. Principals provide time and resources for the implementation of the RE Program and ensure clear and consistent communication with both mentors and Resident Educators. Principals value the RE Program and work collaboratively with mentors to support high quality instruction and create environments in which Resident Educators succeed.