Under the agreement, Quinnipiac will recognize 12 graduate credits earned through CT TRP coursework. Program completers will complete the remaining 18 credits through Quinnipiac to earn the master’s degree. The partnership is open to both Elementary Education and Special Education CT TRP completers, expanding access to advanced credentials in a high-need certification area.

“This collaboration between Quinnipiac University’s School of Education and CT TRP reflects our shared commitment to equity in education—ensuring that the teaching workforce represents and understands the communities it serves,” said Anne Dichele, dean of the Quinnipiac School of Education. “I believe this unique partnership provides an innovative model that shares the strengths of two programs of teacher professionalism, and in doing so shapes the future of education by empowering teachers who bring inclusive excellence and passion to their work.”

For Elementary Education CT TRP graduates, the partnership also provides an optional pathway to earn a Special Education cross-endorsement. While the master’s degree itself does not confer cross-endorsement, Elementary TRP graduates may earn the Special Education endorsement by completing an additional 6-credit practicum, bringing the total to 24 credits. This practicum may be completed within educators’ current teaching roles serving inclusion students.

“We value university partnerships that recognize the strength and relevance of TRP’s preparation model,” said Violet Jiménez Sims, managing director of academic programming and legislative affairs for CT TRP. “Our collaboration with Quinnipiac University expands graduate-level pathways for both elementary and comprehensive special education completers, while honoring the intellectual challenge of TRP’s coursework and the expertise developed through real-world teaching experience. This partnership reinforces our belief that educators’ lived experiences are not supplemental to academic learning—they are foundational to it.”

The Connecticut Teacher Residency Program, managed by CREC in partnership with the RESC (Regional Educational Service Centers) Alliance, is focused on diversifying the educator workforce and addressing teacher shortages in high-need certification areas across the state. Creating accessible pathways to advanced degrees supports the recruitment, retention, and professional advancement of educators committed to serving Connecticut’s diverse student population.

Since its inception in 2019, CT TRP has offered an innovative residency model that prepares non-certified candidates with bachelor’s degrees to earn state teaching certification while working full time in classrooms. The program began as an elementary certification pilot in CREC Magnet Schools and has since expanded statewide. In recent years, CT TRP added Special Education certification and received state approval for a Middle School Mathematics certification pathway.