Teaching by Choice: Addressing the National Teaching Shortage, Two National Conferences, Winter-Fall 2004

American Association Of Community Colleges, Washington DC

Investigators

Abstract

The number of students enrolling in K-12 schools and community colleges is increasing at the same time that teachers are retiring, resulting in a national need for more teachers in classrooms at all levels. This two year project consists of two national conferences that are examining barriers and strategies for ways to produce more qualified teachers for the nation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) K-12 and community college classrooms. Intellectual Merit: The first national conference is Teaching by Choice: K-12. The American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) , the American Mathematical Association of Two-Year Colleges (AMATYC), and the National Association of Community College Teacher Education Programs (NACCTEP) are co- hosting this conference and are being joined by other professional societies representing science and technology. The conference focuses on the role of community colleges in K-12 teacher preparation in science, mathematics, and technology education. Participants represent K-12 schools, community colleges, four-year colleges and universities, and a number of professional discipline-specific societies, including the American Chemical Society, American Association of Physics Teachers, International Technology Education Association, and Association for Career and Technical Education. The conference is designed to foster discussions among all of these sectors, with a goal of identifying key issues and solutions in the development of effective STEM teacher preparation programs. The results of the conference are being published in a report to be distributed nationally. The second conference, Teaching by Choice: Community Colleges, focuses on the need for STEM faculty to replace retiring community college faculty. It provides a forum for community college administrators and faculty as well as various discipline-specific and workforce associations to discuss the challenges of retention and recruitment of future community college STEM faculty. A summary of the conference results is being published and distributed nationally. Broader Impacts: Through the two conferences and subsequent summary reports, the issues and suggestions are impacting the development and implementation of community college teacher education programs and the recruitment and retention of future community college STEM faculty nationwide. There is a widely recognized need to update the system of STEM teacher education to produce highly qualified teachers, and the recognition of the national need for highly qualified community college STEM faculty.