STEMteach: One Year, New Career--A Post-Baccalaureate STEM Teacher Licensure Project

University Of Wisconsin-River Falls, River Falls WI

Investigators

Abstract

The STEMteach program at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls (UWRF) is a Track 1 Noyce project which will enable individuals with a degree in science, technology (including computer science), engineering, or mathematics (STEM) to become certified middle or high school science, computer science, and/or mathematics teachers through one year of intensive study. The project is designed to meet regional and state needs for more highly-qualified and well-prepared teachers by providing a model that encourages recent STEM graduates and STEM professionals to bring their knowledge and life experiences into the classroom for the benefit of future generations of students. Through the NSF Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship program, STEMteach will offer stipends to cover the majority of the cost of the program for seventy (70) future teachers who commit to teaching for two years in a high-needs district. Through a partnership with nearby Century College, a 2-year college, the program seeks to make teaching attractive and attainable for low-income and first generation college students as well as those underrepresented in STEM and STEM teaching. The grant will support early recruitment activities using 55 summer internships for STEM pre-major students from Century College, the largest source of transfer students to UWRF. Century College students benefit from this partnership through career readiness skill development (resume drafting, interview practice, and career exploration) as they apply for teaching internships related to computer science, engineering, and STEM education. Some of these interns may be able to transfer into a traditional undergraduate teacher preparation program, while others may find it advantageous to complete their STEM degree and then obtain their teacher preparation via the STEMteach program, or similar programs. STEMteach is a minimum 30 credit hour UTeach-inspired program that is designed to provide rigorous and efficient STEM-infused pedagogy for recent graduates and career changers, including veterans. It is an innovative graduate teaching certification program with three optional pathways for completing a Master's degree in education. In order to provide the preparation and field experiences deemed necessary for success in the classroom, candidates are counseled to "give up your day job." Through Noyce Scholar stipends, the financial burden associated with this requirement is lessened. The inquiry-based and STEM-infused program provides challenging graduate coursework and extensive field preparation. This promotes an understanding and synthesis of theory and practice, as well as a deep understanding of the challenges and rewards associated with teaching in diverse environments: urban/rural/suburban, high-needs/high performing schools, traditional, informal, and summer enrichment/summer remediation. STEMteach is centered around intentional and well-supported field experiences which utilize co-teaching. Early and intensive field experiences begin in the first course and continue throughout the program, culminating with apprentice teaching. Instruction occurs on the UWRF campus as well as in partner high-need school districts. This project will also provide funding of a Mathematics Master Teacher who will work in partnership with the UWRF existing Science Master teacher, recruiting 2-year College STEM students into internships, and increasing efforts to integrate computer science and computational thinking into the curriculum. Two types of internships will be offered; both are designed to give students a "taste of teaching:" 1) a two-week internship working with a UWRF-based STEM camp to gain experience with young students and 2) an internship to work directly with the STEMteach Master Teachers for 15 hours per week for 8 weeks in the day-to-day teaching activities of the STEMteach program.