Southern Illinois Fellowships for Teachers in Rural Schools (SIFTRS)

Southern Illinois University At Carbondale, Carbondale IL

Investigators

Abstract

Southern Illinois University Carbondale (SIUC), in partnership with Shawnee Community College (SCC), Massac County USD 1, Murphysboro CUSD 186, and several other high-need school districts in Southern Illinois, is engaged in a planning process to develop a combined Teaching Fellowships/Master Teaching Fellowships program for in-service teachers and STEM professionals committed to teach in rural high-need school districts. Key to the proposed Planning Partnership is the creation of a Fellowship Program targeted at developing highly qualified K-8 teachers at high-need school districts. The Fellowship Program is expected to provide teachers with a deep understanding of science and mathematics content, training and experience in inquiry-based learning methodologies and tools to mount evidence-based curriculum revision through Action Research in their own unique school environments. SCC is a key link in this partnership as most students at SCC attended the partner school districts and transfer to SIUC to complete their undergraduate degree. Twenty-five to thirty (25-30) teachers and administrators from 10 or more rural high-need school districts in Southern Illinois are participating in the planning meetings and assisting with needs assessments. A critical goal of the proposed Planning Partnership is to develop a framework for an innovative Teacher Fellowships/Master Teaching Fellowships program that will provide increased mathematics and science content and pedagogical knowledge and improved instructional leadership skills for K-8 in-service teachers and for STEM professionals who desire to pursue certification and teach in rural high-need schools. The Planning Partnership is identifying professional development needs for teachers and leading to the development of a framework for a Fellowship Program for K-8 teachers in high-need schools.