Registered Teacher Apprenticeship Program of Study

Overview of ICBTE/RTAPS Project:

The ICBTE/RTAPS project is a collaborative initiative led by the Tennessee Grow Your Own Center, in partnership with the Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) and the University of Tennessee System. The project aims to address the state’s teacher shortage by strengthening the K-12 teacher talent development pipeline. A $1.8 million grant from Ascendium Education Group supports the development of the Registered Teacher Apprenticeship Program of Study (RTAPS), an online curriculum created by faculty fellows within the Institute for Competency-Based Teacher Education (ICBTE).

Coming Fall 2025:

Once the curriculum is finalized you will see a comprehensive list of EPPs providing RTAPS, what programs they offer, and next steps for EPPs who are interested in integrating this curriculum.

Do you want to learn more about progress and receive communication as soon as adoption options are available? Fill out this quick interest form. 

Goals:

GOAL #1: Increase Program Access and Quality

  • Faculty Fellows collaborate in developing RTAPS, shaping online competency-based curriculum
  • Implement virtual simulation technology to standardize rigor and practice opportunities

GOAL #2: Enhance Teacher Apprenticeship Sustainability

  • Participate in the application of competency-based assessment for credit
  • Explore innovative pathways for prior learning recognition
  • Ensure consistency and validity of apprenticeship credit earned on the job

GOAL #3: Support Rural Education Access

  • Enable teacher apprenticeships in rural districts with small numbers of learners
  • Contribute to scholarship and reports demonstrating the impact of apprenticeships

 

Institute for Competency-based Teacher Education (ICBTE): a service organization comprised of teacher education faculty who serve voluntary 2-year terms to study, maintain, and improve RTAPS.

Collaboration involves cross-institutional partnerships, as Faculty Fellows create, maintain, and improve RTAPS.

ICBTE reduces or eliminates challenges to entering the teacher workforce by:

  1. Overcoming access challenges
  2. Honoring competencies over classroom time
  3. Leveraging technology

 

Faculty Fellows

 

Austin Peay State University

Click to View Austin Peay Faculty ▼▲

Lori Allen

Lori Allen
Coord. of Continuous Improvement,
College of Education

Laura Barnett

Laura Barnett
Assistant Professor,
College of Education

Christi Maldonado

Christi Maldonado
Assistant Professor,
College of Education

 

Allison Oliver

Allison Oliver
Assistant Professor,
College of Education

Donna Short

Donna Short
Assistant Professor,
College of Education

Bing Xiao

Bing Xiao
Assistant Professor,
College of Education

 

Lipscomb University

Click to View Lipscomb Faculty ▼▲

 

Leslie Cowell

Leslie Cowell
Dean, College of Education

Middle Tennessee State University

Click to View Middle Tennessee Faculty ▼▲

 

Shannon Harmon

Shannon Harmon
Associate Professor,
College of Education

UT Chattanooga

Click to View UTC Faculty ▼▲

 

Stephanie Brennan

Stephanie Brennan
Lecturer and Grow Your Own Program Coordinator,
School of Education

UT Knoxville

Click to View UTK Faculty ▼▲

 

Amelia Brown

Amelia Brown
Data Coordinator,
Office of Professional Licensure,
College of Education, Health and Human Sciences

UT Martin

Click to View UTM Faculty ▼▲

 

Tammie Patterson

Tammie Patterson
Assistant Professor,
Department of Educational Studies

Laura Plunk

Laura Plunk
Lecturer,
Department of Educational Studies

Clinton Smith

Clinton Smith
Professor and Chair,
Department of Educational Studies

Alisa Wilson

Alisa Wilson
Assistant Professor,
Department of Educational Studies

UT Southern

Click to View UTS Faculty ▼▲

 

Claire Paul

Claire Paul
Program Coordinator of
Special Education,
School of Education

Cindy Young

Cindy Young
Grow Your Own Coordinator,
School of Education

Registered Teacher Apprenticeship Program of Study (RTAPS): a curriculum for teacher apprentices that is a digital repository of assessments, rubrics, and aligned instructional materials.

RTAPS is an innovative, virtual, competency-based curriculum aimed at expanding access to high quality teacher education. This Open Education Resource (OER) curriculum will be aligned to InTASC standards, addressing the evolving needs of aspiring teachers.

Faculty Fellows from the Institute for Competency-based Teacher Education (ICBTE) have collaborated on the development of assessments, rubrics, mentor support resources and instructional materials.

Funds and technical support are available to integrate state of the art virtual simulation technology as a key component of RTAPS.

RTAPS expands access to high quality teacher education by:

  1. Providing secure access to standards-based curriculum for partnering Educator Preparation Providers (EPPs)
  2. Aligning curriculum to InTASC standards
  3. Creating digitally available resources for partnering EPPs to adopt and implement in both Grow Your Own and non-Grow Your Own programming across the state

Partners

 

Key Milestones

Jan. 5, 2024–Dec. 31, 2025

  • Length of Institute for Competency-based Teacher Education (ICBTE) fellowship

Academic Year 2024–25

  • Version 1 of materials piloted

Fall 2025

  • Version 2 published

By Dec. 31, 2025

  • Faculty Fellows develop assessments and instructional materials equivalent to 48 credit hours
  • Registered Teacher Apprenticeship Program of Study (RTAPS) completed

 

Press Releases

RTAPS Resources

This Discovery Deck provides an overview of the Discovery phase of the RTAPS project in partnership with iDesign.

7 Strategies Webinar Series Recordings

7 Strategies: Overcoming Barriers to Entry (Webinar 1 of 4)  Webinar 1 Materials
7 Strategies: Awarding Credit for Prior Learning (Webinar 2 of 4) Webinar 2 Materials
7 Strategies: The Ideal Learning Experience for Teacher Apprentices (Webinar 3 of 4) Webinar 3 Materials
7 Strategies: A Program for Everyone: Who is underserved? (Webinar 4 of 4)

BONUS SESSION: Award winning leader, Kim Eckert describes an academic coursework model that is rigorous, accessible, and impactful.

This series aims to illustrate the connections between competency-based education and teacher apprenticeship programs, particularly for non-traditional learners. Whether you are new to these concepts or have experience, this series offers valuable insights. It is intended for colleges of teacher education and other educational institutions that want to learn how they can expand delivery to non-traditional audiences and reduce common barriers experienced by working learners.