CSU Chico’s RiSE: A Unique Masters of Arts in Education Residency Program for Aspiring 7th-12th Grade Math Teachers
“Chico State’s RiSE program is awesome,” was the very first thing that came out of current resident Hayley Holloman’s mouth when asked about how she liked CSU Chico’s Residency in Secondary Education (RiSE) in Mathematics program.
The RiSE program offers an innovative 18-month graduate curriculum that combines a Master of Arts in Education, a teaching credential, and a hands-on co-teaching residency with a mentor. The program equips residents with the educational and professional experience they need to emerge as leading candidates for grades 7-12 math teacher positions.
Holloman has a lot to say about the benefits of the program:
“In a regular teaching credential program, aspiring teachers have to switch the schools that they are training at every semester, which makes it hard to truly connect with the kids on an ongoing basis. But at RiSE, we are placed in one school for an entire year.
“This is a huge benefit to both us teachers-in-training and the students, because we have the opportunity to establish deep connections with the students for the whole school year. We are really able to understand them, how they learn, and the best ways to teach them on an individual level. I still have relationships with students that I met on the very first day of school. Not only that, but I’ve become a part of the community at my school.
“The co-teaching model of the RiSE program is effective and it gives us as upcoming teachers a lot of experience. We get to help with planning, assessing, developing lessons, teaching students, and experimenting with different teaching strategies to see how each student learns best.
“Not only do I love my co-teacher, but I know the other teachers at the school and the staff, and they are all super-friendly and supportive, letting me sit in on their classes to learn even more. This is a huge learning opportunity for me.
“Another thing I love is how we are all placed into cohorts, a group of around 25 of us residents, at the beginning of the program. We start together and work together all summer, which establishes a great support system. When we go to our placements, we get to reconvene and hear about 20 other people and their perspectives. It’s a great bonding experience, and it’s great to have so many people to relate to. People who understand exactly what you’re learning and going through.
“It’s a challenging program — after all, we are working to earn both our master’s and a teaching credential — but the faculty and people who run it, like Jen, Cheryl, and Ann, are very supportive. They understand it’s a tough program, and they are willing to be flexible and supportive and help you in any way they can.
“The master’s part of the program is really cool because each resident gets to study and research whatever they interested in. What I’m working on is looking at how personalized instruction affects the engagement of disengaged students. I love being able to tie student interest to what is happening in class, and this project lets me look deeper into it. There are lots of opportunities to try new things, and since we are with the same students all year long, we get to really develop alongside of them and teach based on their particular learning styles.”
And what happens after residents graduate? A 100% job placement rate.
Because of this top-notch educational and field teaching experience, Chico State is one of the 24 Masters of Arts in Education programs in the US to receive the Teacher Quality Partnership Grant from the United States Department of Education, Office of Innovation and Improvement.
This prestigious grant makes it possible for the university to provide a living stipend of $25,000 to individuals who have been admitted to RiSE, so they can comfortably focus on their studies and on professional development throughout the program.
Anyone interested in being a part of the innovative RiSE program starting fall 2017 is encouraged to apply soon. You can find more enrollment and application details here.