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Teachers

OSSE Apprenticeship in Teaching Program Expands to Reach More District Educators

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

The Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) hosted its second annual Signing Day, welcoming 28 new apprentices into the 2025 cohort of the OSSE Apprenticeship in Teaching program, a citywide registered apprenticeship for aspiring K-12 teachers. This initiative aims to build an educator pipeline in high-demand subject areas, with a focus on early childhood, elementary, and special education. The program, developed in partnership with the University of the District of Columbia (UDC) and the Department of Employment Services (DOES), provides cost-free pathways for District paraprofessionals and high-impact tutors to become certified teachers.

Key Takeaways:

  • The OSSE Apprenticeship in Teaching program has seen significant interest in its second year, with over 175 applications submitted over six weeks, demonstrating strong demand for available program openings in FY26.
  • The program has expanded to all eight wards, with 52 schools and 18 local education agencies (LEAs) participating, showcasing its scale and investment in innovative preparation pathways.
  • The apprentices will continue working in their current LEAs as paraprofessionals while completing coursework toward a bachelor's degree at UDC, highlighting a cost-free pathway for aspiring educators.
  • The program includes on-the-job competencies, emphasizing key skills and concepts necessary for effective new teachers, and OSSE, UDC, and LEAs will monitor apprentices' progress throughout their time in the program.
  • The program's success is reflected in DC's increasingly high teacher retention rates, with 84% of teachers retained in the 2024-25 school year, and 76% retained in the same school at which they taught in the 2023-24 school year.

Statistics:

  • 28 new apprentices were welcomed into the 2025 cohort of the OSSE Apprenticeship in Teaching program.
  • Over 175 applications were submitted for the OSSE Apprenticeship in Teaching program in its second year.
  • The program is active in all eight wards, with 52 schools and 18 local education agencies (LEAs) participating.
  • 84% of teachers were retained in the 2024-25 school year.
  • 76% of teachers were retained in the same school at which they taught in the 2023-24 school year.
  • DC's teacher retention rate improved 2 percentage points from the 2022-23 school year to the 2024-25 school year.

Sources:

  • Office of the State Superintendent of Education (DC) - [1]
  • [The quoted text does not specify a source for this sentence]
  • University of the District of Columbia (UDC) - [2]
  • Department of Employment Services (DOES) - [3]
  • OSSE Apprenticeship in Teaching program - [4]
  • OSSE Educator Workforce Summit: Strengthening the Local Teacher Pipeline - [5]
  • OSSE Educator Preparation Provider Landscape Brief - [6]

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