Inaugural class of DETRP takes a fresh air break during a seminar.

The University of Delaware (UD) has partnered with three Delaware school districts, Capital, Christina, and Red Clay, to offer the Delaware Teacher Recruitment Program (DETRP), an innovative field-based teacher education program.  The Program will prepare a diverse group of students to become outstanding teachers, committed to improving the quality of K-12 education in the state of Delaware. 

A major strength of the Program is the partnership with three school districts and the increased collaboration between k-12 education and the university teacher preparation programs.  The University and the partner school districts work together to identify, recruit, select, and prepare Program participants committed to teaching within Delaware's high-need schools.  Each year, participants will complete 160 hours of internship in a district high-need school.  During the internship, each student will be mentored by an experienced k-12 teacher or mentor teacher.  This internship will provide valuable professional development opportunities and intensive, supervised, hands-on clinical experiences where students can apply the knowledge and theory learned at the University to classroom practices.  Program participants will develop a portfolio documenting the completion of performance-based standards, which will be evaluated by their mentor teacher and university faculty.  School district and University personnel will plan additional professional development activities that will enhance the academic, career, and personal growth of the participants. 

Twenty students per year will be selected to participate in the DETRP. Once students are selected, they are eligible to remain in the program throughout their undergraduate education.  To be considered for program participation, students must be enrolled in a teacher preparation major and meet the program requirements. 

Teaching Majors Served