Sensemaking of University and District Stakeholders in Implementing a Teacher Residency Policy in Louisiana

Abstract

A growing body of research has identified teacher residency’s potentials for improving and sustaining preservice teacher learning through a stronger district–university partnership. Drawing on sensemaking perspectives on education policy implementation, this qualitative case study examines how a variety of university and district stakeholders make sense of and implement a state-mandated teacher residency in Louisiana. Findings reveal that stakeholders are primarily making sense of the residency in isolation, leading to incoherent understandings and varied implementation practices. Opportunities to improve stakeholders’ collective sensemaking and collaborative implementation and to optimize the benefits and potentials of teacher residency partnerships are discussed. This study has implications for teacher education policy implementation and continuous inquiry into the complexities of teacher preparation.

Increasing Teacher Retention and Supporting Students With Low-Incidence Disabilities Through University Partnership

“…In agreement with Maheady and colleagues (2016), we acknowledge that these programs (Borthwick et al, 2020;Chu, 2022) may only be sustainable with financial support from state and federal funding intended to create and maintain comprehensive SUPs. Resources for rural teachers of students with LID should be a top priority for support and allocation of resources because learners with LID, compounded with rural inequalities, are at the highest risk of receiving an inadequate education.…”

“…However, none of this would be possible without the support of key stakeholders who play critical roles in supporting a longer-term SUP in which we are proposing. These roles include (a) university faculty who can engage in practical and community outreach work to transfer research findings into practical actions (Borthwick et al, 2020); (b) university and school librarians should keep a dialogue with teachers about the lending library’s (Bradley-Johnson et al, 2015; Kok, 1984) valuable resources to ensure educators are aware of the available resources and therefore ensure the accessibility and effectiveness of the lending library; (c) clinical and field faculty who are working with preservice and in-service teachers can seek opportunities for communicating the emerging issues regarding the causes of the teacher shortage and the needs of students with LID to keep both university and school faculty informed about current issues (Chu, 2022); and (d) school and district administrators should provide sufficient support to allow teachers and schools to try new ideas in supporting students with LID. Additionally, using the resources SUPs (Borthwick et al, 2020) can provide, school and district administrators must organize professional development opportunities for special education teachers to hone their skills using EBPs while also implementing professional development topics that address teachers’ top concerns.…”

Sensemaking in higher education: the experiences of first-time public university presidents

“…Those characteristics can be applied to and inform the experiences of new presidents. The sensemaking process considers the individual's experiences, education, geography, societal beliefs, and prior understanding of the world (Brown et al, 2015;Chu, 2022;Will & Pies, 2018). There is also a cyclical nature to sensemaking, including Steigenberger's (2015) argument that emotions impact knowledge creation during sensemaking, and in turn, sensemaking influences people's emotions.…”

“…Notably, the participants had a partner in their early sensemaking efforts. As Chu (2022) points out, sensemaking conducted in isolation is often unmoored from the realities of the organization.…”

“…He "would much rather have those interactions in person." Despite the modality, sensemaking is weakened in isolation (Chu, 2022), so it is important to bring new presidents together.…”