Noyce Scholarships to Prepare Teachers for Culturally Congruent Science and Mathematics Education of Native American Students

Salish Kootenai College, Pablo MT

Investigators

Abstract

Salish Kootenai College's Noyce Track 1 project aims to address the critical shortage of mathematics and science teachers from Native American communities throughout Montana. The project will provide scholarships and stipends to support the preparation of 20 mathematics and science majors to become licensed teachers in high-need secondary schools. These prospective teachers will mostly be Native American students on or near the Flathead Indian Reservation. The project will also provide undergraduate internships to increase the number of mathematics and science majors who will enter K-12 teaching as a career. Additionally, it will develop structures that help new teachers to thrive and persist in the teaching profession. The project will build on a successful Native American teacher preparation model that focuses on professionalism and teaching practices. This approach has the potential to improve learning by inviting the experiences and perspectives of under-served learners into mathematics and science classrooms. This project will partner with the Salish and Kootenai Tribes and Elders, Flathead Reservation School Districts, and educators in informal educational settings. This partnership will provide support for undergraduate pre-service teachers as they develop culturally congruent instructional practices. The project will also support Noyce recipients through induction as new teachers. This support will include classroom visits by project staff, professional development, professional learning community meetings, online discussions, and administrative support. The project can contribute new knowledge about the ways teachers are prepared to meet the needs of underserved students. It also aims to contribute to higher science achievement for all students, as project graduates model the application STEM-focused equity and access pedagogy with colleagues in the professional learning communities to which they belong. 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.