Two-Year Resident Educator Program Information
Recent legislative changes (House Bill 442 from the 133 General Assembly) require the Resident Educator license to change from a four-year license to a two-year license and the Resident Educator Program from a four-year program to a two-year program. The licensure changes become effective April 12, 2023, and the Resident Educator Program changes become effective for the 2023 – 2024 school year. Resident Educators will continue to be required to successfully complete mentoring at the local level, counseling (if needed), and the Resident Educator Summative Assessment (RESA) to complete the Resident Educator program and become eligible to advance to a professional license.
School districts will continue to be required to provide a Resident Educator Program that is aligned with the Ohio Resident Educator Standards, the Ohio Standards for the Teaching Profession, and the Ohio Standards for Professional Development. Beginning with the 2023-2024 school year:
- Local Resident Educator Programs must transition from a four-year program structure to a two-year program structure.
- Participants in the Resident Educator Program must successfully complete two program years.
- Previously registered Resident Educators are also only required to complete two program years.
- Leadership Explorations are no longer required as part of the two-year program.
- Credit for prior teaching experience is no longer available.
- Program Coordinators must register Resident Educators for the Resident Educator Summative Assessment (RESA) in Year 2 of the Resident Educator Program.
- Resident Educators must successfully complete the RESA to complete the Resident Educator Program.
- For more information about the Resident Educator Program, please click here.
Please note the following exceptions to the two-year Resident Educator Program:
- Alternative Resident Educator License holders will continue to hold a four-year license and must complete four years of teaching to advance to a professional license. They will complete the Resident Educator Program requirements in Years One and Two of their license.
- Individuals who teach career-technical courses under an initial career technical workforce development license are exempt from participating in the local Resident Educator Program.
Two-Year Resident Educator Program Requirements
Mentoring
- School districts must continue to provide mentoring by state trained mentors for Resident Educators in the two-year Resident Educator Program.
- Mentors continue to be selected at the local level.
- Mentors must be state-certified by completing the 12-hour state training for new Resident Educator Mentors.
- Mentoring activities will continue to be designed, developed, and implemented at the local level.
- ODE has revised the focus of the Resident Educator mentoring training to include mentoring in the following areas: Relationships and Communications; Equitable Practices; Professional Growth and Development; and Instructional Practice and Building Capacity. For more information about the Resident Educator Mentoring changes, please click here.
- Mentors will continue to provide mentoring on the Continuous Teaching and Learning Cycle.
- Beginning in March 2023, new Resident Educator Mentors will receive training aligned with the two-year Resident Educator Program and the new mentoring guidelines.
- Previously trained Mentors are not required to complete the new mentoring training program, but it is recommended that they review the new mentoring guidelines and guiding principles.
Resident Educator Summative Assessment (RESA)
- Beginning with the 2023-2024 school year, the RESA must be taken in year two of the Resident Educator Program.
- In year two, Resident Educators will be assigned a RESA Facilitator who has completed the RESA Facilitator Training LMS course.
- The Mentor and the RESA Facilitator may be the same individual.
- Resident Educators will continue to have three attempts to pass the RESA.
- Resident Educators who do not successfully complete the RESA after three attempts become permanently ineligible to advance to a professional license in the respective area(s), or any renewal or extension of the Resident Educator license(s) or Alternative Resident Educator license(s).
- For current information about the RESA, please click here and here.
Additional Resident Educator Program Considerations for Two-Year Resident Educator License Holders
Year One
- Resident Educators who successfully complete their locally designed and developed mentoring programs will move to Year Two of their Resident Educator Program.
- Resident Educators who do not successfully complete their locally designed and developed mentoring requirements must repeat Year One of the Resident Educator Program.
Year Two
- Resident Educators will receive mentoring and facilitation during Year Two of the program.
- The mentor and the facilitator can be the same person.
- Resident Educator license holders who successfully complete their locally designed and developed mentoring requirements and who pass the RESA in year two have completed the Resident Educator program and can apply to advance their license.
- Resident Educator license holders who do not successfully complete their locally designed and developed mentoring requirements and/or who do not pass the RESA in year two will not have completed the program. They may apply to extend their Resident Educator license.
Additional Information and Resources
For Resident Educators
https://education.ohio.gov/Topics/Teaching/Resident-Educator-Program/For-Resident-Educators
For Program Coordinators
https://education.ohio.gov/Topics/Teaching/Resident-Educator-Program/For-Program-Coordinators
Resident Educator Resources and Tools
https://education.ohio.gov/Topics/Teaching/Resident-Educator-Program/Standards-Resources-and-Tools