Getting Started with Residencies
Residency Foundations: Workbook
Designing a high-quality residency program requires more than conceptual understanding — partnerships need structured opportunities to translate ideas into plans. The Residency Foundations Workbook is the hands-on companion to Module 1, guiding teams through detailed tasks aligned to each section of the slide curriculum. Organized into 12 content-specific sections, the workbook supports partners in building partnership teams, establishing collaboration norms, formalizing MOUs or LOUs, defining equity-centered goals, developing program vision and timelines, designing recruitment campaigns, selecting clinical practice sites, and communicating program expectations. Each activity connects directly to corresponding slide decks and the Key Characteristics Planning Tool. Programs building capacity, launching new residencies, or refining existing models can use this workbook with SRTAC or Residency Lab coaching support, in training events, or as an internal planning guide to move from foundational concepts toward a complete strategic plan.
Key Takeaways
- Provides task-oriented activities aligned to all 12 Residency Foundations slide sections
- Supports partnership design from team building through recruitment, site selection, and handbook development
- Integrates with the Key Characteristics Planning Tool for ongoing program planning
- Designed for programs building, redesigning, or refining teacher and school counselor residencies
- Best used alongside module slide decks and coaching from SRTAC or The Residency Lab
All Residency Foundations Resources
| Thumbnail | |||
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
Residency Foundations: Introduction Slides
(opens in new tab)
An introductory slide deck that orients residency partnerships to the Residency Foundations module, its 12-section structure, and the 10 Characteristics of Effective Residencies. |
Slides | February 2026 |
|
|
Residency Foundations: Anchor Texts
(opens in new tab)
A curated library of foundational readings and planning tools — including the 10 Characteristics — that ground Residency Foundations program design in research and best practice. |
Slides | February 2026 |
|
|
Residency Foundations: Workbook
(opens in new tab)
A comprehensive, action-oriented companion workbook with 12 sections of tasks and activities to help partnerships design, redesign, or refine residency programs aligned to the 10 Characteristics. |
Slides | February 2026 |
|
|
Residency Foundations: Introduction to Residency Model
(opens in new tab)
A foundational presentation defining the educator residency model, its yearlong clinical practice, and the elements of a strong IHE–LEA partnership. |
Slides | February 2026 |
|
|
Residency Foundations: Financial Sustainbility of the Residency Model
(opens in new tab)
A presentation guiding residency partners to explore funding models, staffing strategies, and value propositions that support long-term fiscal sustainability. |
Slides | February 2026 |
|
|
Residency Foundations: Establishing Residency Partnership
(opens in new tab)
A presentation helping partners explore residency roles, design the partnership team, establish collaboration norms, and plan initial partnership meetings. |
Slides | February 2026 |
|
|
Residency Foundations: Formalizing the Partnership through the Memoradum of Understanding (MOU) or Letter of Understanding (LOU)
(opens in new tab)
A presentation on formalizing residency partnerships through MOUs or LOUs, including essential agreement elements and value proposition development. |
Slides | February 2026 |
|
|
Residency Foundations: Framing the Residency to Respond to Relevant District Contexts
(opens in new tab)
A presentation helping partners define equity in their local context, use data to inform planning, and set SMARTIE program goals responsive to district needs. |
Slides | February 2026 |
|
|
Residency Foundations: Designing the Residency Program Vision
(opens in new tab)
A presentation guiding partners to compare institutional vision statements and draft a residency program vision grounded in equity and shared partnership goals. |
Slides | February 2026 |
|
|
Residency Foundations: Designing the Residency Program Implementation Timeline
(opens in new tab)
A presentation helping partners build a roadmap to implementation with major milestones from funding and MOU signing through recruitment, matching, and program launch. |
Slides | February 2026 |
|
|
Residency Foundations: Designing the Residency Program Schedule
(opens in new tab)
A presentation supporting strategic planning for clinical practice schedules, course calendars, and gradual release models for the residency implementation year. |
Slides | February 2026 |
|
|
Residency Foundations: Designing Resident Recruitment Campaigns
(opens in new tab)
A presentation on designing data-informed resident recruitment campaigns that reach diverse candidates reflecting the students programs serve. |
Slides | February 2026 |
|
|
Residency Foundations: Designing Mentor Recruitment Campaigns
(opens in new tab)
A presentation on recruiting and developing mentor teachers and counselors, including selection criteria, union collaboration, and planning-year mentor development. |
Slides | February 2026 |
|
|
Residency Foundations: Selecting Clinical Practice School Sites
(opens in new tab)
A presentation outlining a seven-step process for selecting clinical practice school sites aligned to program mission, data, mentor capacity, and hiring needs. |
Slides | February 2026 |
|
|
Residency Foundations: Communicating Program Expectations to All
(opens in new tab)
A presentation guiding teams to compile program design into a handbook that communicates expectations to residents, mentors, and site administrators. |
Slides | February 2026 |
|
|
Selecting Clinical Practice School Sites
(opens in new tab)
A standalone planning tool supporting residency programs in carefully selecting school sites where leaders invest in mentor and resident success. |
Template | June 2026 |
|
|
Partnership Roles and Responsibilities
(opens in new tab)
A team-building table for identifying core residency partnership members from each institution and defining their roles during initial planning. |
Template | June 2026 |
|
|
Getting Better at Getting Equitable Book Club Discussion Tool
(opens in new tab)
A facilitated discussion tool with role assignments and prompts for teams reading WestEd's Getting Better at Getting More Equitable. |
Tool | June 2026 |
|
|
Formalizing Your Partnership Agreement
(opens in new tab)
A tool to help residency and apprenticeship partners agree on partnership terms as they formalize their collaboration. |
Template | June 2026 |
|
|
Establishing Norms of Collaboration
(opens in new tab)
A National Staff Development Council–based tool helping multi-institution residency teams establish and revisit collaboration norms. |
Template | June 2026 |
|
|
Developing Value Propositions for Your Program
(opens in new tab)
A worksheet for defining residency program value propositions that articulate benefits for partners, solve urgent problems, and make mission concrete. |
Template | June 2026 |
|
|
Value Propositions for Engagement Sustainability
(opens in new tab)
A visual guide defining value propositions as concise benefit statements that enlist stakeholder commitment for long-term program sustainability. |
Guide | February 2026 |
|
|
Develop Your Implementation Timeline
(opens in new tab)
A backwards-planning tool for mapping residency implementation milestones across credential, HR, and recruitment deadlines. |
Template | June 2026 |
|
|
Designing Your Program Vision
(opens in new tab)
A note-taking tool for drafting residency program vision statements that are data-informed, inspirational, and connected to community needs. |
Template | June 2026 |
|
|
Design Your Resident Recruitment Campaign
(opens in new tab)
A planning tool for designing resident recruitment campaigns that reach the candidates your program aims to serve. |
Template | June 2026 |
|
|
Design Mentor Recruitment Campaigns
(opens in new tab)
A planning tool for designing mentor recruitment campaigns, including job descriptions and partnership recruitment duties. |
Template | June 2026 |
|
|
Designing Your Initial Partnership Meeting Agendas
(opens in new tab)
A planning resource for designing thoughtful agendas for initial residency partnership meetings. |
Template | June 2026 |
|
|
Define or Refine Your Program’s Goals
(opens in new tab)
A SMARTIE framework tool for educator preparation programs designing or redefining residency program goals. |
Template | June 2026 |
|
|
Creating a Residency Master Calendar
(opens in new tab)
A planning tool outlining key considerations for designing clinical practice schedules and gradual release models. |
Template | June 2026 |
|
|
Residency Modules 1, 2, 3 At-A-Glance
(opens in new tab)
An at-a-glance map of The Residency Lab's three-module curriculum covering foundations, implementation, and integration. |
Template | June 2026 |