Rowdy Residency Pathway
The UT San Antonio Rowdy Residency or “Residency” pathway follows TEA’s Texas Teacher Residency Route and prepares clinical teachers (aka “Rowdy Residents” or “Residents”) to earn an “Enhanced Standard Teacher Certificate”.
The Residency includes partnerships with local public school districts to provide residents with extended experience in the classroom and more opportunities to engage with the campus community. All residents follow their placement district’s academic calendar for clinical teaching start and end dates each semester and complete a full year of a residency placement. Residents also receive additional support and benefits through shared governance, increased collaboration between the campus and the Educator Preparation Program (EPP), and integrated TExES testing support.
Residents who meet all EPP and TEA performance gates are eligible to be exempt from the TExES Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities (PPR) Exam and earn an Enhanced Standard Teacher Certificate.
EPP Residency Performance Gates
- Follow the district calendar for start and end dates each semester
- Meet EPP TExES exam benchmarks each semester
- Demonstrate proficiency in selected CTESS domains and dimensions
- Complete a full year of residency clinical teaching
Paid Residencies
Some residency partner districts provide paid residency opportunities. Paid residents follow the same UT San Antonio EPP Rowdy Residency requirements for certification and may have additional requirements and expectations set by their funding district. Paid residencies are competitive, and only a limited number of paid residencies are available each semester. Residents interested in paid opportunities complete an application process initiated by the UT San Antonio EPP. Currently, only undergraduate clinical teachers are eligible to apply for paid residencies.
In Fall 2025, our EPP began offering the Enhanced Standard Teaching Certificate pathway, or the Rowdy Residency. The Rowdy Residency is currently offered at six local districts that have governance and ongoing paid and unpaid Residency programs with UTSA:
- East Central ISD
- Edgewood ISD
- Harlandale ISD
- North East ISD
- Northside ISD
- San Antonio ISD
All Rowdy Residency partnerships include at least the following criteria:
- Adhere to all UT San Antonio and district policies
- Yearlong residency placement (3 days a week, at least 7 hours per day)
- Start and end dates follow the district calendar, each semester
- Co-Teaching/Co-planning model for instruction
- Residency Coordinator
- District Liaison
- Quarterly governance meetings
- Host Teacher training and support
- Regular communication among campus and district leadership, host teachers, and Residency Coordinators
Paid Residency Partnerships
This section highlights the additional expectations for paid Residency by partner district:
|
District |
Expectations for Paid Residents |
|
East Central ISD |
Follow all guidelines of the Rowdy Residency pathway outlined above within the “assumption of responsibility” and co-teaching model. |
|
Edgewood ISD |
Follow all guidelines of the Rowdy Residency pathway outlined above, plus engage in the release time and co-teaching model. |
|
Harlandale ISD |
Follow all guidelines of the Rowdy Residency pathway outlined above, plus engage in the release time and co-teaching model. |
|
North East ISD |
Follow all guidelines of the Rowdy Residency pathway outlined above within the “assumption of responsibility” and co-teaching model. |
|
Northside ISD |
Follow all guidelines of the Rowdy Residency pathway outlined above within the co-teaching model. |
|
San Antonio ISD |
Follow all guidelines of the Rowdy Residency pathway outlined above within the substitute teaching and co-teaching model. |
As a TEA-Vetted Residency, UTSA COEHD is partnering with the following local school districts to receive funding for clinical teachers: East Central ISD, Edgewood ISD, Harlandale ISD, North East ISD, and San Antonio ISD.
Teacher Residents are paired with carefully selected mentor teachers, follow the district teachers' calendar, participate in district-led professional learning sessions,, participate in residency seminars led by dedicated residency faculty, and are paid by the district. The funding is only available for undergraduate clinical teachers.
Applications must be submitted the semester before the teacher candidate begins their clinical year.
Application Process:
- UTSA Educator Preparation Program (EPP) representative(s) will contact eligible teacher candidates to provide resumes for partner districts to review.
- Partner districts schedule and conduct interviews.
- UTSA Educator Preparation Program (EPP) representative(s) will inform candidates of district decisions.
- Candidate reviews and signs letter of acceptance and returns signed agreement form to UTSA
For information, please contact:
Dr. Youmna Dbouk
Director of Clinical Professional Experiences
Since 2017, UTSA has been in partnership with the Northside ISD in the co-creation of a district-specific residency program. The UTSA-NISD Signature Teacher Residency program provides cohorts of pre-clinical through clinical teacher candidates with extended opportunities to teach, learn, and interact with K-12 students, teachers, and administrators. Participation in the UTSA-NISD Signature Teacher Residency is a multi-semester/multi-year agreement, though no additional courses are required. Teacher Candidates pursuing certification in all areas (EC-6 Core, ESL, Bilingual, 4-8, Secondary, All-level) are welcome to apply after they have been accepted to the UTSA teacher certification program.
Signature Teacher Residents are paired with carefully selected mentor teachers, participate in district-led professional learning sessions, record and critically reflect on their instructional practices, are eligible for employment opportunities with the district, and develop a strong network of support through interactions in residency seminars led by dedicated residency faculty. During pre-clinical semesters, residents are paired with a mentor teacher for weekly observations and co-teaching experiences. They also participate in monthly seminars with their residency cohort. During the clinical year, residents follow the district teachers' calendar, co-planning and co-teaching with their mentor for 5 days a week when UTSA classes are not in session, and 3 days per week when UTSA classes are in session. Residency graduates are ready to lead their own classroom and fully participate in the NISD community as culturally efficacious educators from day one. They are invited to continue collaboration with their residency cohort, and after at least 3 years as teachers of record, are eligible to be considered as residency mentor teachers.
Applications can be submitted at any time before the clinical year, with candidates preferably joining the residency in their sophomore or first-semester junior year and continuing through their year-long clinical teaching experience at UTSA.
Application Process:
- Teacher Candidate completes and submits an application to UTSA
- UTSA residency committee reviews applications and makes referrals to NISD
- NISD conducts interviews and contacts UTSA with recommendations for accepted residents
- UTSA informs candidates of district decisions
Candidate reviews and signs letter of acceptance and returns signed agreement form to UTSA. To complete an application for the UTSA-NISD Signature Teacher Residency Click here!
For information, please contact:
Dr. Jennifer Swoyer
Assistant Professor of Instruction
Carefully Selected Mentor Teachers
Being an effective host teacher takes more than proven effective classroom experience. Residency Host Teachers are carefully selected based on recommendations from district partners and UT San Antonio guidelines, ensuring they possess the necessary interest, skills, and time to guide future educators.
More Interaction with K-12 Students
All Rowdy Residents work directly with their host teachers and Residency Coordinators to prepare, deliver, record, and reflect on lessons that have been specifically differentiated for the students and aligned with course objectives. Residents follow the district calendar for two consecutive semesters for a more extended clinical teaching experience.
District and Campus Involvement
Residents are invited to participate in district professional development opportunities throughout the year - beginning with convocation in August and continuing with district and campus-led professional learning sessions throughout the year. All Rowdy Residents follow the district calendar for start and end dates each semester.
Professional learning opportunities familiarize residents with the culture of the district and allow them to interact with other district educators to begin forming their professional network of support and resources for expertise.
Research and Presentation Opportunities
Residents participate in critical reflection related to their clinical experiences and program development. This action research is often shared in local conferences and publications. Residents also often serve as stewards of the residency and the university to promote the EPP and recruit future Roadrunners by presenting at local and state conferences.
Residency Program Faculty
Assistant Professor of Practice
Director of the San Antonio Writing Project
Teacher-Consultant since 2006, New Jersey Writing Project of Texas
