Recruitment, Preparation, and Retention of Mathematics and Science Teachers: Noyce Scholars II Program at the College of William and Mary

College Of William And Mary, Williamsburg VA

Investigators

Abstract

The Recruitment, Preparation, and Retention of Mathematics and Science Teachers project is a Phase II Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship project at the College of William and Mary (W&M). It supports twenty-seven undergraduate and graduate majors in biology, chemistry, earth science, mathematics, or physics in obtaining a teaching credential, as well as the opportunity to earn a Master's of Arts in Education degree. The program model provides early experiences and structured mentoring about careers in teaching. It includes out-of-class opportunities and freshman-to-junior-year education course offerings to recruit students to teaching, STEM internships in teaching and research for Noyce Scholars, and courses for Noyce Scholars that supplement W&M's teacher education program. Three different pathways into the profession of teaching are supported: a customary four-year baccalaureate program, an integrated "fifth-year" baccalaureate and M.A. Education Program, and a full-time, 12-month M.A. Education Program. This Noyce Phase II project is testing a model for the many colleges and universities similar to W&M that face the dual challenges of low numbers of STEM students entering the teaching profession and being physically distant from high-need schools. Two issues for many institutions are: (1) sparking and developing an interest in a career in teaching in STEM students in the early undergraduate years, and (2) designing effective strategies for preparing students to teach in high-need schools. In this project, immersive experiences in high need schools develops familiarity and provides opportunity for reflection and deeper understanding for undergraduates at the freshman to junior level. A one-credit course for Noyce Scholars incorporates research findings from neuroscience and cognitive psychology to provide evidence-based, practical applications in STEM teaching and develops the ability of Noyce Scholars to evaluate new approaches to teaching. A practicum course for Noyce Scholars provides experiences in high-need settings to develop competencies and confidence of Noyce Scholars to teach in high need schools. The College of William and Mary in partnership with the Williamsburg-James City County Public Schools works together to refine and expand the successful program developed during Phase I in several significant ways: (a) deepening collaborative engagement among STEM departments, the School of Education, and the W&M Office of Community Engagement, which educates and inducts students into practical, hands-on community service (b) developing a new program for recruiting and mentoring diverse, qualified students for a teaching career in high-need schools; (c) continuing to enhance the established teacher education program with special course offerings in STEM education and in science; (d) expanding experiences for W&M students in high-need schools and settings; (e) continuing to offer summer internships for STEM teaching and research; (f) providing student stipends to cover tuition and fees; (g) continuing to provide follow-up mentoring and support for teaching in high-need schools; (h) adding financial support for Noyce Scholars employed in high-need schools during their first two years of teaching; and (i) implementing a comprehensive evaluation and longitudinal study, inclusive of forty-three Phase I Noyce Scholars, to provide a rigorous evidence base for the program and publication.