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APPENDIX C.5
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MASTER TEACHER RESIDENCY PROGRAM (MTRP)
Overview
MTRP is a focused and highly selective initiative that recognizes current [District] teachers with a
track record of contributing to gains in student achievement by offering them the opportunity to
use their skills in low-performing schools where they are needed most and can have the most
profound impact.

Participating Schools
Placement schools are scheduled to be identified in early May. As soon as schools are identified,
the information will be posted on our Web site and provided to potential candidates. In general,
the selected schools will be among those most in need of the expertise and commitment to high
student achievement demonstrated by the teachers eligible to apply to the MTRP. The schools
will likely have a substantial percentage of students performing lower in reading and math than
other schools in the district

HOW DO I APPLY?
Eligibility
To qualify, candidates must have taught a tested grade level (grades 3-8) and subject (both
elementary math and language arts OR middle school math) and have demonstrated significant
improvement with their students’ academic performance over the past three years. Candidates
must currently be teaching in [District].
Teachers’ effect on students’ academic improvement will be measured by reviewing the teachers’
student progress relative to students’ past performance and to similar students in the district. The
school district provides this data to determine each teacher’s participation eligibility.
Eligible teachers will be notified by the district and invited to submit a short application.

Application Process
Once a teacher is determined to be eligible to participate, they will be notified by the district and
invited to submit a brief application on the program Web site.
The online application should take no more than 15-20 minutes to complete and asks for basic
information about your background and experiences. You must also upload a current resume
and respond to two application questions:
a) What has made you a successful teacher?
b) How have your previous experiences and successes prepared you to excel in a lowperforming school?

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Principals will be provided with these materials when considering you for a position in their
school.
After your application is received and reviewed, you will be contacted to set up a time for an
interview with the principal at one or more of our participating schools to begin the matching
process. After the interview, the principal will determine whether to extend you an offer to begin
teaching at the school next year. You will have the option to accept or decline their offer.
Upon accepting the offer to transfer to a participating school for the 2009-2010 school year, you
will be provided transition support, including a half-day orientation session and the option to
attend various cohort workshops or seminars offered in the fall.

Information Sessions
We invite all teachers eligible to participate in MTRP to attend a reception honoring their
achievements and offering an opportunity to learn more about the program. The session will
include a brief overview of MTRP as well as a question and answer period. We encourage you to
attend this event to take advantage of the opportunity to both celebrate your accomplishments
and meet other outstanding [District] educators. Eligible teachers will receive an invitation to
attend.

Important Dates & Deadlines
Application Deadline:

[Date]

Interviews with Participating Schools:

[Month]

MTRP Teacher Orientation:

[Month], exact date TBA

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FAQ
How do I know if I am eligible?
If I am eligible and don’t participate this year, will I be able to participate next year?
When is the application deadline?
What is it like to teach at a low-performing school?
What is expected of me as a program participant?
Will I be teaching in the same school as other program participants?
How is the MTRP different from other incentive-based programs offered by the District?
Is this a district program? Who is running the program?
How can I get more information?
How do I know if I am eligible?
To qualify, candidates must have taught a tested grade level (grades 3-8) and subject (both
elementary math and language arts OR middle school math) and have demonstrated significant
improvement with their students’ academic performance over the past three years. Candidates
must currently be teaching in [District].
Teachers’ effect on students’ academic improvement will be measured by reviewing the teachers’
student progress relative to students’ past performance and to similar students in the district. The
school district provides this data to determine each teacher’s participation eligibility.
Eligible teachers will be notified by the district and invited to submit a short application.
If I am eligible and don’t participate this year, will I be able to participate next year?
We encourage all recognized teachers to apply this year. While there is a possibility that your
district will be selected to participate in this program next year, we cannot guarantee that you
will have another opportunity.
When is the application deadline?
The application deadline for the program is [Date]; however, we encourage you to apply as early
as possible as space is extremely limited.
What is it like to teach at a low-performing school?
Academically, many students in the district’s low-performing schools are achieving below grade
level in various tested subjects. While the path to achieving academic success for these students
can be challenging, we believe that all program participants have the proven expertise and
knowledge necessary to thrive in these schools and help struggling students.
There may also be additional challenges in participating schools that are not present in your
current school related to classroom management and school culture. We hope to help mitigate

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these issues by offering support during the summer orientation and by continuing to check in
with teachers throughout the school year.
What is expected of me as a program participant?
The main expectation is that you continue to do your best in a new and potentially challenging
setting. Teachers who choose to transfer to a new school will participate in four to eight hours of
professional development over the summer to prepare them to enter a new school environment
and address some of the challenges they may face (increased quantity and severity of classroom
management challenges, working with a new team of teachers and adjusting to a new or different
instructional program). To aid with the study of this program, participants may be asked to
complete a short survey..
Will I be teaching in the same school as other program participants?
Participants will have the opportunity to be selected to teach in schools where vacancies exist in
the grade level and/or subject for which they are qualified. Due to our commitment to
facilitating the best possible matches between individual schools and teachers, though possible,
we cannot ensure that participants will be placed in a school with other participants.
How is the MTRP different from other incentive-based programs offered by the District?
The MTRP is a very small, targeted, federally funded initiative designed to study the effects highperforming teachers have on low-performing schools. This year, we are working with only four
of the district’s lowest-performing schools. Only candidates who were identified as eligible for
the MTRP are being invited to apply. Candidates will be selected based on their prior success in
contributing to their students’ achievement growth. They also must have taught a tested grade
and subject for the past three years. By participating in the MTRP, participants will have the
opportunity to play an important role in this federal study, which will help direct future
education policy discussions.

How can I get more information?
We will hold an information session for eligible teachers who are interested in learning more
about the program. The session will provide more information about the program and offer
networking opportunities with other outstanding teachers in our district.
For more information, please e-mail us at [email address] or call us at [phone number].

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