The Relay Teaching Residency and the NY Relay Teacher Pathway feature Relay’s traditional academic programs plus four distinct program pillars that serve to prepare and support participating students to be effective full-time teachers.
 

Pillar 1: Supervised Clinical Practice 

Supervised Clinical Practice (CP) connects theory to the classroom context, focusing on the development of the knowledge, skills, and mindsets required to be a culturally responsive and inclusive educator through ongoing cycles of practice (both during class and in Birth–Grade 12 schools), feedback, and reflection. Relay Teaching Residency and NY Relay Teacher Pathway students receive observation-based feedback as part of their CP coursework, and learn as part of a collaborative cohort committed to continuous improvement. Relay Teaching Residency and NY Relay Teacher Pathway students participate in approximately weekly synchronous CP classes and also engage in additional cycles of learning and reflection asynchronously as part of CP coursework. 

Pillar 2: Assessments and Gateways

Relay students enrolled in the Relay Teaching Residency and the NY Relay Teacher Pathway will have gateway assessments, which serve as checkpoints to identify and communicate whether they are on track to becoming full-time teachers and identify areas in which additional support may be needed. Relay Teaching Residency and the NY Relay Teacher Pathway students receive feedback from Relay faculty and their school-based mentors on gateway rubrics, with Relay faculty determining the final score. If the final score indicates the foundational knowledge of the skills and mindsets required to become a full-time teacher was not demonstrated, additional coaching and support will be provided and the student will be permitted to resubmit the gateway. 

 

If a student earns below “emerging” on a Gateway assignment OR term observation in CLIN-501, CLIN-502, CLIN-521, CLIN-522, CLIN-524, CLIN-532, CLIN-534, CLIN-560, or CLIN-562, they will automatically earn below 80% in the overall CLIN course grade. A course grade below 80% requires students to retake the course in a future term, allowing them to re-do the associated gateways or term observations. Students should refer to Relay’s Student Academic Progress guidance.

 

If a student earns below “emerging” on a Gateway assignment OR term observation in CLIN-523, CLIN 531, and CLIN 533 and if these observations are required for state licensure, the student may be required to retake the CLIN course at which the below “emerging” score was earned or an alternative CLIN course that meets program completion requirements. 

 

Additionally, Residents and NY Relay Teacher Pathway students in a two-year program must secure a lead teaching/teacher of record position by the summer census date immediately preceding the second fall term in order to continue in their program. In some states, students’ lead teaching experience in the second year of the program serves as their qualifying clinical experience for educator preparation program completion, and students must ensure that their teaching positions align with their certification/endorsement areas and meet state- and/or program-specific requirements for qualifying clinical experiences as described in the applicable EPP Handbook. 

 

Pillar 3: School-Based Mentors

Each participant in the Relay Teaching Residency and the NY Relay Teacher Pathway is hired by a partner school and placed with a school-based mentor whose classroom serves as a home base during the apprenticeship year. These mentors can be current instructional leaders or strong teachers who do not yet have leadership responsibilities. In some states/programs school-based mentors serve as cooperating teachers for student teaching and must meet state-specific requirements. Relay works with schools to support the selection of school-based mentors, and roles and selection will vary by program.
 

School-based mentors will fulfill several responsibilities to assist in the development of students, including:

• Co-Teaching: From day one, establish a classroom culture of co-teaching and support to take on more responsibility and transition to teaching full lessons over the course of the year. 

 

• Modeling: Create opportunities to observe teachers as a key factor for success and development. Observations should include a strategic diversity of strong teachers in action, occurring daily for at least one instructional block.
   

• Coaching: Provide ongoing support with regular check-ins for 30–60 minutes each week. This time should be spent coaching and should include the internalization of lesson materials for the upcoming week, regardless of who will be responsible for teaching the full lesson. The school-based mentor’s lesson plans will be used for practice sessions during clinical practice classes.
   

• Communication: Communicate about progress and performance in the classroom. Relay’s Clinical Practice Directors are responsible for informing school-based mentors about learning opportunities and upcoming Relay assessment requirements.
   

• Feedback and Gateway Scoring: Use weekly meetings as an opportunity to provide instructional and professional feedback as well as solicit feedback and input in return. As the primary coaches at the school level, school-based mentors should actively observe to provide concrete action steps creating a culture of continuous improvement and growth. Mentors will also participate in gateway rubric scoring to provide a school-focused perspective on the students’ progress to date.                                                                              

 

Pillar 4: Gradual On-Ramp to Teaching
The gradual on-ramp to teaching will provide opportunities to teach more and take on increased responsibilities in the classroom as skills develop and the academic year progresses. For example, after learning about classroom culture, there may be opportunities to take on additional responsibility for running transitions or setting the tone in the first few minutes of class. The ability to take on additional teaching opportunities will be dependent on school feedback and the achievement of the Relay Gateways. By the beginning of the spring term, most students should be ready to move into more consistent teaching of at least one period a day in order to build stamina and demonstrate readiness for full-time teaching the following year. In the final weeks of the year, it is recommended that Relay Teaching Residency and NY Relay Teacher Pathway students lead teach for multiple weeks to acclimate to the schedule of a full-time teacher.

In some states or programs, the spring term offering the gradual on-ramp to teaching meets the requirement for student teaching for certification/licensure. In these states, the total number of weeks of lead teaching is determined by state requirements. In other states or programs, certification/licensure-seeking students must complete clinical experiences while serving as a teacher of record in the second year of the program. See the appropriate EPP Handbook for state- and program-specific details. In some cases, if all relevant certification/licensure requirements are met and if students demonstrate proficiency, a partner school might accelerate their on-ramp in coordination with Relay. Please refer to the Educator Preparation Program Descriptions to understand the details for your state.