Identifying and Addressing Factors that Contribute to Michigan's STEM Educator Shortage

Siena Heights University, Adrian MI

Investigators

Abstract

In this Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program Capacity Building project, Siena Heights University (SHU) will work to identify and address the causes of Southeast Michigan's STEM educator shortage. Based on that knowledge the principal investigators (PIs) will start building a pipeline of highly-qualified secondary STEM educators and share the results with partners in secondary and higher education throughout the region. Over the funding period, the project team will develop action plans for increasing retention and graduation rates in SHU's secondary education program and Michigan Test for Teacher Certification (MTTC) pass rates for students who graduate. The PIs intend to use the plans as the basis of a future Noyce Scholarships and Stipends Track 1 proposal. SHU will conduct the project in partnership with Jackson College, a local two-year college, and nearby high-need education agencies, Adrian, Hudson, Madison, and Morenci Public Schools. Faculty in SHU's Division of Education and Division of Computing, Mathematics, and Sciences will assess institutional and community needs and develop collaborative partnerships to increase the number of high school, transfer, and SHU undergraduates who pursue careers in secondary STEM education. The project team will work on ways to recruit more biology and chemistry students into the secondary education certification program (regionally, the disciplines of highest need), identify barriers to student retention in these disciplines, and establish action plans to increase retention, graduation, and MTTC pass rates. Intended outcomes of the work also include the establishment of pathways for high school and community college transfer students to pursue secondary STEM teaching careers. Furthermore, the PIs aim to assess and develop SHU's secondary STEM education curriculum, advising, and academic support systems. The project team will study the benefits of web-based, on-demand learning modules, integrated supplemental instruction in biology and chemistry and develop a 2 + 3 certification pathway for two-year college students. Results from this study will add to the knowledge base of effective strategies for guiding students into successful careers as secondary STEM educators. 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.