The Utah Collaborative to Build Capacity for a Streamlined Science Teacher Preparation Program

University Of Utah, Salt Lake City UT

Investigators

Abstract

With support from the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program, this Capacity Building project will lay a foundation for increasing the number of qualified science teachers in Utah. Thus, it will contribute to the need for high-quality STEM teachers to meet the nation's ever-growing need for a highly trained STEM workforce. A central challenge to this goal is recruiting teachers who remain in the profession to become leaders and mentors in all aspects of STEM education, including working with a diversifying population. One approach to enhancing teacher recruitment would be to simplify the process for STEM undergraduates to obtain their teaching certification while pursuing STEM degrees. Likewise, ensuring that aspiring teachers receive adequate training and support is a primary means to improve teacher retention. Recognizing these opportunities, this project aims to develop a high-quality, accelerated 5-year BS/MEd program at the University of Utah that integrates learning of STEM content knowledge and STEM teaching methods, as well as pre-service training. This strategy has the potential to prepare future STEM teachers who can meet the needs of diverse learners and contribute to the national priorities for STEM learning. Through this effort, the University of Utah will work closely with Salt Lake Community College, the source of almost 1,000 of the University's STEM undergraduates. These two key partners, together with Salt Lake City School District, master teachers, community leaders, and experts in high-need environments, will form the "Utah Collaborative." The goals of the Utah Collaborative are to: 1) conduct a detailed needs assessment that determines the number of teachers needed and also the attributes such as soft-skills and dispositions that enable teachers to thrive in high-need environments; 2) create a compact five-year degree program that results in a STEM bachelor of science degree and a Master of Education, with licensure; 3) develop a direct pathway from Salt Lake Community College to completion of the BS/MEd program at the University of Utah; 4) develop unique student teaching opportunities and internships that will allow participants to gain extensive exposure to teaching in high-need schools; 5) develop a network of school and community-based mentors to help support new and continuing teachers; and 6) develop a strategic dissemination and advising plan that will enable the recruitment and support of STEM students from different backgrounds. Ultimately, the project aims to provide the infrastructure for a future Noyce Track 1 proposal that has the potential to transform science education in Utah. The Noyce program supports talented STEM undergraduate majors and professionals to become effective K-12 STEM teachers and experienced, exemplary K-12 STEM teachers to become STEM master teachers in high-need school districts. It also supports research on the persistence, retention, and effectiveness of K-12 STEM teachers in high-need school districts. 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.