Oklahoma Invests $500,000 in SWOSU’s Registered Teacher Apprenticeship Pathway

SWOSU's Registered Teacher Apprenticeship Pathway allows school employees to earn bachelor's degrees and become fully certified teachers while continuing to serve their communities.

Southwestern Oklahoma State University (SWOSU) has received $500,000 in Phase II funding through TeachForwardOK to support its Registered Teacher Apprenticeship Pathway. The program helps school employees earn bachelor's degrees and become fully certified teachers while continuing to serve their communities. This investment will prepare more teachers for Oklahoma classrooms while helping school districts develop educators from within their own schools.

Registered Teacher Apprenticeships are nationally recognized pathways approved through the U.S. Department of Labor. SWOSU developed the pathway for paraprofessionals who already work in schools but do not hold bachelor's degrees. After completing 60 college credit hours, eligible candidates can enter the apprenticeship and continue working in paid positions with partner districts while finishing their SWOSU coursework. The pathway requires a one- to two-year internship in place of traditional student teaching. Apprentices graduate with traditional bachelor's degrees in education and meet all Oklahoma teacher certification requirements.

Phase I funding helped SWOSU establish the systems needed to operate the new pathway and gather feedback for improvement. The Phase II award moves that support into direct program delivery. It will cover tuition and book costs for apprentices, stipends for mentor teachers and the continued operation and development of the program. The award is expected to provide significant financial support to at least 37 apprentices working toward teacher certification.

"This funding removes barriers that have kept talented individuals from becoming teachers while giving rural districts the opportunity to grow their own educators alongside the university," said Robyn Randol, SWOSU director of Registered Teacher Apprenticeship. "Together, we are creating a stronger, more accessible pathway into teaching and a sustainable teacher pipeline for rural Oklahoma."

Apprentices in SWOSU's Registered Teacher Apprenticeship Pathway complete a one- to two-year internship while working toward their education degrees and Oklahoma teacher certification.

SWOSU began piloting the pathway last year, and its first cohort is expected to complete the program in December. The pathway now works with numerous school districts across Oklahoma. A growing number of freshmen and sophomores have also expressed interest in entering the pathway once they become eligible. More than 50 current apprentices are expected to complete the pathway and become fully certified teachers by fall 2028.

The Oklahoma Legislature established TeachForwardOK through Senate Bill 212 as a two-year pilot for nontraditional teacher candidates and emergency-certified teachers. The Office of Educational Quality and Accountability (OEQA) selected several universities to operate models based on the needs of their regions and student populations. OEQA described SWOSU's program as the most expansive among the funded approaches.

The pathway is a collaboration among SWOSU's Department of Education, the Oklahoma Public School Resource Center and participating school districts. SWOSU provides the college coursework, while partner districts provide paid classroom experience. SWOSU and the Oklahoma Public School Resource Center work with each district to align the pathway with local workforce needs.

"The Registered Teacher Apprenticeship pathway represents exactly what is possible when universities, schools, and community partners come together around a shared need," said Marla Pankratz, chair of the SWOSU Department of Education. "I am incredibly proud of the leadership and extraordinary work of Robyn Randol and our Department of Education faculty, who have embraced this innovative pathway and the students it serves. Ultimately, this is an investment not only in teachers, but in Oklahoma's youngest children, their families, and the communities they call home."

For more information about SWOSU's Registered Teacher Apprenticeship Pathway, visit https://www.swosu.edu/education/teacher-apprenticeship.php.

About Southwestern Oklahoma State University

Southwestern Oklahoma State University (SWOSU) was founded in 1901 and offers more than 100 undergraduate and graduate programs across three locations in Weatherford, Sayre, and Yukon. The university serves more than 5,000 students and prides itself on affordability, small class sizes, and over 200 faculty and staff committed to helping students achieve their academic and personal goals.

For more information about Southwestern Oklahoma State University, visit https://www.swosu.edu.