Presentation: 2025 ND EPSCoR Annual conference 

October 21, 2025, NDSU Memorial Union, Fargo, North Dakota

Building the North Dakota Teaching Workforce: Insights from the Rural Student Teaching Experience (RSTE)

This study investigates the impact of the Rural Student Teaching Experience (RSTE), a targeted teacher preparation initiative designed to strengthen the rural education workforce in North Dakota. Between August 2021 and May 2025, a total of 33 preservice teachers completed their 1-semester practicums, student teaching in K-12 classrooms and fulfilling their institutional requirements, while participating in the RSTE program. Many participants assumed additional responsibilities, including roles as teachers of record, long-term substitutes, or paraprofessionals, reflecting the program’s alignment with rural schools’ staffing needs. Employment outcomes indicate strong post-program retention in education: of those who completed the RSTE before Fall 2024 (n=17), 76.5% secured P–12 teaching positions during the 2024–2025 school year, and 92.3% of these remained in North Dakota. Among participants completing student teaching between Fall 2024 and Spring 2025 (n=16), 81.3% accepted teaching positions for the 2025–2026 school year, with 76.9% planning to stay in North Dakota. Across all cohorts, 78.8% of participants transitioned into P–12 teaching roles, with the majority serving in rural schools. In addition to descriptive outcomes, qualitative interviews with five early-career STEM teachers revealed that financial support, structured mentorship, and a strong sense of community were critical to shaping professional identity and sustaining commitment to rural teaching. Findings position RSTE as a promising model for developing a culturally responsive, place-conscious rural teacher workforce and addressing persistent teacher shortages in rural contexts.