Preparing Highly Qualified Women STEM Majors to Become Successful Teachers

Mount Saint Mary'S University, Los Angeles CA

Investigators

Abstract

Studies show that there is a significant positive relationship between the presence of minority teachers in primary and secondary schools, and minority student performance. This issue is critically important to California schools, which enroll about 72% minority students but only employ about 29% minority teachers. Mount Saint Mary's University (MSMU) Noyce program will address the need for highly qualified teachers in the STEM disciplines, decrease the minority and female gender gap, and ultimately increase underrepresented groups participation in STEM. The goal of the program is to enable low-income, high-achieving, first generation women from underrepresented groups who have a passion for STEM to pursue teaching careers in middle and secondary high-need schools in Southern California. This program will recruit, prepare and support 17 women majoring in mathematics, biochemistry, biological sciences, or chemistry, who will concurrently pursue a teaching credential. MSMU is implementing the project in collaboration with the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) and other high-need schools in the Los Angeles area. Project activities include intensive on- and off-campus recruitment as well as program modifications and add-ons, such as Noyce program orientation, STEM-based internships with the campus Math Lab and the California Science Center, a supportive cohort environment, continuing faculty mentoring and quarterly meetings, mini-grants to enhance scholars' classroom resources, and a new course that combines mathematics, pedagogy and California Subject Examinations for Teachers (CSET) preparation. A unique aspect of the program will be training that will provide the pre-service teacher with a certificate in inclusive and responsive teaching (CIRT), which will prepare them to provide successful learning experiences for students in high need schools. The project will contribute to the body of knowledge by providing a model of effective practices in recruiting, retaining, and preparing a population that is especially absent in STEM education -- women from minority and low-income backgrounds. The project's activities and strategies for fostering greater interest in teaching mathematics and science among these students will be tracked and evaluated. Particular attention will be paid to strategies for attracting high-achieving women who have not previously considered a career in teaching. The evaluation of the project will carefully track the impact of each program component on the students' teaching practice, satisfaction and persistence in the profession.