Who We Are

Why Teaching Matters

South Carolina is experiencing a shortage of quality teachers, especially in rural areas of our state. A student’s educational opportunities should not be based on location, income, or race. One of the most important factors in a child’s education is the quality of their teachers. That is why the Carolina Transition to Teaching Residency program was created. Quality teaching matters.

The University of South Carolina College of Education is dedicated to preparing diverse educators, while advocating for all education professionals and working to retain teachers. Our state is currently experiencing a shortage in teachers. Carolina Transition to Teaching Residency was created to recruit individuals from other careers and help them transition into a teaching career through guided support in a year-long classroom residency, while taking MEd coursework. At the end of the residency, individuals will shift to become teachers while working through CarolinaCAP to complete components that lead to teacher licensure.

We Need YOU!

We are seeking enthusiastic individuals who want to make a difference in the lives of children. If you are looking for a more fulfilling career, join us in this effort. Inspire lives. Become a teacher today. Click here to request more information.

Meet Our Faculty

George J. Roy

Primary Investigator

Professor of Mathematics Education, his primary area of research focuses on preservice teachers' development of mathematical content knowledge. His current research efforts include examining uses of technology in middle school mathematics classrooms and university-school district partnerships.

Dr. Stephen Thompson

Stephen L. Thompson

Co-Primary Investigator

Professor, his research history centers on elementary and middle level science teacher professional development, nature-based inquiry, and scientist and engineer collaborations with K-12 schools.

Kristin Harbour

Co-Primary Investigator

Associate Professor, her research focuses on instructional practices, support systems general and special education teachers, and innovative pre-service teacher preparation using research-based practices.

Carli Toliver

Program Manager

Carli is a higher education professional with a vast experience in admissions and student-athlete academic support, advancing innovative problem solving to promote courageous leadership.

Meet Our Partners

We are proud to partner with the following counties and school districts.

Colleton County School District logo

Colleton County School District

Florence School District 3 logo

Florence County School District 3

Marlboro County School District logo

Marlboro County School District

Orangeburg County School District logo

Orangeburg County

Read About Our Work

  • •Roy, G. J., Guest, J. D., Baker, M. A., Compton-Lilly, C., Adgerson, A., Crooks-Monastra, J., & SC Rural Initiative (accepted). Compelling Cases: The Complexities of a Paraprofessional Becoming a Teacher. Teaching and Teacher Education.

    •Harbour, K., Roy, G. J., & Hodges, T. E. (accepted). Diversifying teacher preparation pathways. Submitted to AMTE Professional Book Series, Reflection on Past, Present, and Future: Paving the Way for the Future of Mathematics Teacher Education.

    •Curcio, R., Harbour, K.E., Roy, G.J., Thompson, S.L., Compton-Lilly, C., Baker, M., West, H., D’Amico, L., & Adgerson, A. (accepted). A responsive residency model: Collaborative inquiry to inform program development. In R.W. Burns & J. Jacobs (Eds.) Clinically Based Teacher Education in Action: Cases that Illustrate the Complex Work of Teacher Educators. Information Age Publishing.

    •Harbour, K.E., Curcio, R., Hair, C., & Robinson, S. (accepted). Co-teaching as a Signature Pedagogy for Professional Identity Development. In C.M. Tschida, E. Fogarty, K. Cuthrell, J. Stapleton, D. Lys, & A. Bullock (Eds.) Co-Teaching in Teacher Education: Centering Equity. Teachers College Press.

    •Curcio, R. & Harbour, K.E. (accepted). Cultivating a collaborative coaching community. In B. Butler & L. Mullen (Eds.) How Teacher Educators Learn: Profiles in School-Based Teacher Education. Information Age Publishing.

    •Thomspon, S. L., Curcio, R., Adgerson, A., Harbour, K. E., D’Amico, L. K., West, H. S., Baker, M. A., Roy, G. J., & Compton-Lilly, C. (2022). Virtual summer institutes as a method of rural science teacher development. Theory & Practice in Rural Education, 12(2), 153-178.

    •D’Amico, L. K., West, H. S., Baker, M. A., Roy, G. J., Curcio, R., Harbour, K. E., Thompson, S. L., Guest, J., Compton-Lilly, C., & Adgerson, A. (2022). Using improvement science to implement and evaluate a teacher residency program in rural school districts. Theory & Practice in Rural Education, 12(1), 83-104.

  • •Roy, G. J., Harbour, K.E., & Hodges, T.E. (2024). Diversifying pathways into the profession. Research presented at Association of Mathematics Teachers Educators Conference. Orlando, FL.

    •Dillensnyder, J., Compton-Lilly, C., Roy, G., & Carolina Teaching Collaborative. (2024, Mar 1). Cultivating culturally relevant teacher identities: An exploration of teacher residency identity development [Conference session]. Annual meeting of Georgia State University’s CREATE Teacher Residency Project, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA.

    •West, H. S., Crooks-Monastra, J., Dillensnyder, J., D'Amico, L., Roy, G., Thompson, S., & Harbour, K. (2024, Feb 22). Understanding interest, needs, and barriers to teacher certification among classified staff in rural school districts [Conference session]. South Carolina Educators for the Practical Use of Research, Columbia, SC.

    •Thompson, S., (2023). Virtual Elementary Science Teacher Preparation: Exploring Summer Science Institute Design Structures and Outcomes. Presented at the National Association of Research in Science Teaching (NARST) Annual Conference, April 21, 2023.

    •Roy, G. J., Harbour, K.E., & Hodges, T.E. (2023). Supporting a teacher residency program in rural communities. Research presented at National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Research Conference. Washington D. C.

    •West, H., Thompson, S., Gilreath, R., Crooks-Monastra, J., D’Amico, L., Curcio, R., Roy, G., Harbour, K., Baker, M., & Carolina Teaching Collaborative (2023, February 24). Supporting teacher candidates and induction teachers: Stressors of and supports for nontraditional students and people of color [Paper presentation]. South Carolina Educators for the Practical Use of Research, February 24, Columbia, SC.

    •Adgerson, A., Curcio, R., Harbour, K., & Thompson, S., (2023). Virtual Science Summer Institute Design Structures that Support Rural Resident Teacher Development. Presented at the National Association for Professional Development Schools (NAPDS) Annual Conference, March 24, 2023.

    •Thompson, S., (2023). Exploring a Model for Rural Elementary Science Teacher Preparation. Presented at the Association for Science Teacher Education (ASTE) Annual Conference, Salt Lake City, Utah, January 12, 2023.

    •Roy, G. J., Harbour, K. E., & Hodges, T. E. (2022, November). Supporting A Teacher Residency Program Emphasizing STEM Education In Rural Communities. Research to be presented at the 41st Annual Meeting of the North American Chapter of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education. Nashville, TN

    •Roy, G. J., D’Amico, L., & West, H. (2022, July). Engaging from within: Implementing a rural “grow your own” residency program. Research presentation at the 2022 EED Annual Summit. Arlington, VA.

    •D’Amico, L., West, H., Baker, M., Curcio, R., Roy, G. J., Thompson, S., et al., (2022, April). Advancing teacher recruitment and retention: Using improvement science to develop a teacher residency program. Presentation at the American Educational Research Association (AREA) Annual Conference.

    •Thompson, S., & Adgersen, A. (2022). Examining Virtual Rehearsals and Practice Science Teaching as Support Systems for Rural Elementary Teacher Residents. Presented at the National Association of Research in Science Teaching (NARST) Annual Conference, March 28, 2022.

    •Adgersen, A., & Thompson, S., (2021, October). Mitigating Rural Teacher Shortages: The Conceptualization of a Responsive Teacher Preparation Program Within a School-University Partnership. Presented at the Professional Development Schools Southeastern Regional Vision for Education (PDS SERVE) Annual Conference, Virtual.

    •D’Amico, L., West, H., Roy, G., Thompson, S., Curcio, R., Baker, M., et al., (2021). Using Improvement Science to Implement and Evaluate Teacher Residency Programs in Rural School Districts. Presentation at the American Educational Research Association (AERA) Annual Conference, April 9, 2021, Virtual.

  • • Good Morning America. “71-year-old South Carolina man earns master's degree in hopes of 'helping others'.”

    • UofSC College of Education Faculty Voices: Guest, J. (2022). Can You Hear Me? Center for Educational Partnerships, College of Education, University of South Carolina.

    • UofSC College of Education website Student Spotlight (2021). Teacher’s success bolstered by collaboration and comradery in Transition to Teaching program.

    • Mumford, K. (2021) Carolina Transition to Teaching: We’re Better Together. Center for Educational Partnerships, College of Education, University of South Carolina.