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Intermediate School District 917

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ITRAC Teacher Apprenticeship Program

ITRAC Teacher Apprenticeship Program

The ITRAC Registered Teacher Apprenticeship Program is a collaboration among ISD 917, the other three Minnesota Intermediate School Districts (916, 288, & 287), and Minnesota State University - Mankato that has led to the development of the first Teacher Apprenticeship Program in Minnesota!

Under the ITRAC (Intermediate District Teacher Residency Apprenticeship Collaborative) umbrella, diverse staff, union members and leaders, and district leaders from each organization have worked together to design a program to engage Apprentices (aka paraprofessionals) in job-embedded learning and related instruction at minimal cost to meet the 2023 Standards of Effective Practice, content standards for Emotional-Behavioral Disorders (EBD) and Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) licensure, and Department of Labor & Industry apprenticeship requirements within two years of beginning the program. 

We have designed this program to:

  • Create pathways for professional growth 
  • Ensure all positions are filled by highly qualified staff 
  • Reduce waitlists for in-demand programs
  • Diversify our educator workforce 
  • Retain and leverage expertise of current staff 
  • Align daily student experiences with new Standards of Effective Practice

In the state of Minnesota, Intermediate School Districts (ISD 287, ISD 288, ISD 916, & ISD 917) offer integrated services in special education, alternative education, and career and technical education for member districts and beyond. We specialize in understanding and meeting the diverse academic, social-emotional, and behavioral/mental health needs of students with disabilities so they can thrive in school and life. We are also experts in providing the professional development and training teachers, paraprofessionals, and other staff need to work as high-functioning teams to provide student-centered, culturally sustaining and responsive learning environments focused on social justice.

Learn more about Teacher Apprenticeships and the ITRAC Teacher Apprenticeship Program to the right.

  • Q: Who is involved in the ITRAC Teacher Apprenticeship program design? A: Diverse teams of paraprofessionals, teachers, union leaders, and district leaders from each of the four Minnesota Intermediate School Districts (ISD 917, ISD 916, ISD 288, ISD 187), Minnesota State University - Mankato professors and leaders, and consultants from the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry. 

    Q: Who is eligible to be a Teacher Apprentice at ISD 917? A: Current paraprofessionals working in ISD 917 who have previously earned some college credit (preferably 53+ credits) will be eligible to apply to be part of the first cohort of Teacher Apprentices.  We are currently working with higher education partners to develop pathways for paraprofessionals to earn credits toward the Minnesota State University - Mankato’s general education requirements.  

    Q: Who is eligible to be a Journeyworker? 
    A: Teachers who meet the below descriptions will be eligible to apply to be part of the first cohort of Journeyworkers::

    • Hold a Tier 4 license in ASD and/or EBD 
    • Have at least three years of teaching experience in those areas
    • Demonstrate racial consciousness and a commitment to culturally responsive pedagogy 
    • Can commit to a two-year program to support one to two Teacher Apprentices
    • Are willing and able to participate in: 1) a one-week summer professional development and Journeyworker training program,2) a minimum of eight hours of professional development and training per quarter

  • Q: What is an apprenticeship? A: In general terms, an apprenticeship is "an arrangement in which someone learns an art, trade, or job under another" (Merriam-Webster Dictionary, 2023).

    Q: What is a Registered Apprenticeship? A: "Registered Apprenticeship is an industry-driven, high-quality career pathway where employers can develop and prepare their future workforce, and individuals can obtain paid work experience, receive progressive wage increases, classroom instruction, and a portable, nationally-recognized credential." (Apprenticeship USA, 2023)  In Minnesota, Registered Apprenticeships are approved and overseen by the Department of Labor & Industry.

    Q: What is a Teacher Apprenticeship? A: A Teacher Apprenticeship provides a pathway for school employees to earn a teaching license through job-embedded training overseen by an experienced teacher (aka Journeyworker) and related instruction from an approved teacher preparation provider (including  higher education institutions).

    Q: What is the ITRAC Teacher Apprenticeship Program? A: ITRAC (Intermediate District Teacher Residency Apprenticeship Collaborative) is the umbrella under which diverse staff, union members and leaders, and district leaders from each of the four Minnesota Intermediate School Districts (ISD 917, ISD 916, ISD 288, ISD 287), Minnesota State University - Mankato, and consultants from the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry have worked together to design a program to engage Apprentices (aka paraprofessionals) in job-embedded learning under the guidance of a Journeyworker (aka experienced teacher) and related instruction from Minnesota State University - Mankato professors to meet the 2023 Standards of Effective Practice, content standards for Emotional-Behavioral Disorders (EBD) and Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) licensure, and Department of Labor & Industry requirements within two years of beginning the program.  Upon successful completion of the program, Apprentices will earn a baccalaureate degree and dual teacher licensure in EBD and ASD.

  • Q: Why is ISD 917 investing in Teacher Apprenticeships?

    A: ISD 917 sees benefits of Teacher Apprenticeships for current and potential paraprofessionals, teachers, students, and families. We also see benefits for the district as a whole, our member districts, and our strategic partners.  Some of these benefits include: 1) Creating pathways for professional growth, 2) Ensuring all positions are filled by highly qualified staff, 3) Reducing waitlists for high-demand programs, 4) Diversifying our educator workforce, 5) Leveraging expertise of current staff, and 6) Aligning daily student experiences with new Standards of Effective Practice.

  • Q: When will the program start? A: Our first cohort of Teacher Apprentices began in summer of 2024. Our second cohort will begin in fall of 2025. We will provide updates regarding our third cohort.

    Q: When will more information about the Teacher Apprenticeship be provided? A: We hold a series of information sessions to support communications about the program. We also continue to update this webpage as more decisions are made.

  • Q: How did Teacher Apprenticeships come to be?

    A: In 2022, the federal government, in partnership with the state of Tennessee, chose to recognize teaching as a federally recognized apprenticeship industry as one strategy to address teacher shortages.