Transitioning Math Majors into Teaching

Csu Fullerton Auxiliary Services Corporation, Fullerton CA

Investigators

Abstract

Transitioning Math Majors into Teaching (TMMT) is a Noyce Track I project designed to encourage talented mathematics majors to become secondary school mathematics teachers. The project seeks to recruit and prepare highly effective mathematics teachers in high-need local educational agencies as well as increase the number of highly qualified secondary math teachers. TMMT is a collaboration between California State University, Fullerton (CSUF), the Anaheim Union High School District (UHSD), Santa Ana Unified School District (AUSD) and Santa Ana Community College (SAC). Each year for five years, the CSUF College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics and College of Education, and math faculty at SAC will actively reach out to the STEM majors and identify and recruit 11 Noyce Associates and 10 Noyce Scholars into a mathematics teaching concentration. The TMMT project will provide internships for the Noyce Associates and scholarships for Noyce Scholars. Freshmen and Sophomore students at CSUF and SAC will be recruited to be Noyce Associates and receive intentional mentoring experiences and internships, including content and teaching seminars hosted by the two institutions, tutoring opportunities, and visitations to partner secondary school math classrooms. Associates will be groomed to become Noyce Scholars during their Junior, Senior, and post baccalaureate credential year. This collaboration seeks to create a continuum of experiences in teaching secondary school mathematics for future teachers, from the first year of college through the post-baccalaureate credential year. Associates and Scholars will be provided with a range of enrichment and supportive experiences. After Scholars transition into their first teaching jobs, TMMT will provide induction support, including the launch of a Math Teachers' Circle at CSUF. (These are professional communities of K-12 mathematics teachers and mathematicians that meet regularly to work on rich mathematics problems, allowing teachers to enrich their knowledge and experience of math, while building meaningful partnerships with other teachers and mathematicians.) In this way, TMMT will help support the Associates' and Scholars' development into highly effective mathematics teachers who persist in their careers. At the same time, TMMT will create an effective, sustainable model for preparing prospective secondary school mathematics teachers who transfer in a teaching track from community college to a four-year institution, thus adding new knowledge on how to streamline this process. The project will examine the effectiveness of mentoring on persistence rates and success in achieving a degree and teaching credential. Results will be disseminated via the TMMT website as well as through professional organizations such as Mathematical Association of America (MAA), the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM), and the Math Teacher Education Partnership (MTE-Partnership). CSUF and SAC are Hispanic-serving institutions and Anaheim UHSD and Santa Ana USD are high-need school districts in Orange County, CA. Because the Noyce Scholars will seek to include diverse groups, the Scholars will serve as role models and mentors for diverse students, thus promoting access to mathematics and science careers for diverse secondary students in the CSUF service area. 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.