Preparing STEM Master Teacher Fellows in the Greater New York City Area

Mercy University, Dobbs Ferry NY

Investigators

Abstract

This Noyce Track 3 project at Mercy College, a Hispanic Serving Institution, will respond to the critical need for developing highly effective K-12 mathematics and science teacher leaders in the greater New York City area. Mercy College will partner with Sarah Lawrence College Center for the Urban River at Beczak and New York University's Tandon School of Engineering. The project will have an impact on students in high-need partner school districts in New York (Elmsford, New Rochelle, Ossining and Yonkers), who will benefit by having highly-qualified mathematics and science teacher leaders from underrepresented groups. Over a six-year period, the Track 3 project will prepare 14 in-service K-12 teachers of mathematics and science to become leaders in their school and district. The project's goals are to develop K-12 teacher leaders, with a focus on groups who are underrepresented in STEM; improve K-12 STEM instruction; increase understanding of teacher development for STEM pedagogy; and enhance understanding of Professional Learning Communities for STEM Faculty. The project will prepare STEM teacher leaders skilled in student-centered learning tied to real-world STEM issues and grounded in best practices. As a result, Fellows will be ready to support student achievement and interest in STEM and lead other teachers in improving STEM teaching and learning in their classrooms and schools. Mercy Fellows will engage in an intensive professional development program that includes STEM education coursework and professional experiences with partner institutions who have demonstrated excellence in teacher professional development. Project partners include the Sarah Lawrence College Center for the Urban River at Beczak, a nonprofit focused on environmental education and local connections. Partners will contribute enrichment activities and faculty expertise to the Mercy Noyce project. Fellows will benefit from faculty mentoring, bi-monthly meetings, funding for leadership projects, and receipt of salary supplements. These supports will prepare Fellows to implement high-quality STEM education practices in their high-need school and school district. The project will enhance teachers' ability to take on STEM leadership roles within their schools. With frequent contact and mentoring by STEM and education faculty at Mercy College, project leaders will guide Fellows through STEM education coursework, leadership projects, and professional presentations of their work. Project activities will be well-aligned with hallmarks of effective professional development and experiences to retain teachers in high-need school districts. A major component of the project is the vertical Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) that will support standards-based instruction. Data collected will inform the impacts of STEM pedagogy training using these communities to develop best practices, including those designed to recruit and engage traditionally underrepresented groups in STEM. Faculty collaboration across STEM and education departments and participation in PLCs will be examined to determine how they can best support STEM education coursework. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.