Why It Matters
Idaho needs about 2,000 teachers each year to fill school vacancies, while more than 40% of first-year teachers leave Idaho schools within five years. Boise State University will use an $8 million federal award to support teacher preparation and early-career retention.
What Happened
Boise State was selected for funding through the U.S. Department of Education’s Teacher Quality Partnership Grants program. The award is administered in partnership with the U.S. Department of Labor, and Boise State was one of 12 institutions nationwide selected this year.
The university’s Project TRAIL will connect its College of Education and Public Service with nine Idaho school districts: Caldwell, Kuna, Marsing, Middleton, Nampa, Notus, Parma, Weiser and Wilder.
Hannah Carter is the project’s principal investigator. Megan Lynch, Katie Conley, Sherry Dismuke and Jackie Miller will serve as co-principal investigators.
Project TRAIL will select residents from Boise State’s Master’s in Teaching programs in elementary, secondary and special education. Participants will complete summer residencies and one academic year in partner districts before committing to teach for at least three years in a high-need school within a participating district.
“Our residents will learn evidence-based reading instruction, and just as importantly, how to partner with families in mutually beneficial ways,” Carter said.
By the Numbers
- $8 million: federal award to Boise State
- 75: new teachers the project will support
- $6,000: payment for each summer residency
- $32,000: payment during each year-long teacher residency
- Three years: required teaching commitment after completion
The project will create three cohorts: 20 residents during the 2027-2028 academic year, 25 during 2028-2029 and 30 during 2029-2030.
Zoom Out
Project TRAIL will also provide a two-year Early Career Teacher Academy for participating teachers. Each teacher will receive a $4,000 stipend during each induction year, with support from a district mentor, literacy specialist or instructional coach, Boise State faculty and an induction coordinator.
Mentors may pursue a graduate certificate in teacher leadership. The project also will establish a Family and Teacher Resource Library, distribute literacy kits with reading and writing activities, and give partner-district educators and families access to Boise State’s Literacy Lab.
Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction Debbie Critchfield said teachers drive outcomes ranging from early literacy to workforce preparation for students after high school.
What’s Next
Project TRAIL will proceed through the three scheduled cohorts and provide support during residents’ preparation, classroom placements and early teaching years. Its long-term goals include preparing teachers for local needs, supporting them during years when attrition is high and developing educators as community leaders.
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