Growing Highly Qualified Mathematics Teachers for a High-Need Rural Area

Bemidji State University, Bemidji MN

Investigators

Abstract

This project addresses the national shortage of mathematics teachers who are well prepared to serve high-need students in rural areas. The project will recruit undergraduate STEM students to complete double majors in mathematics and mathematics education, and to become certified middle/high school mathematics teachers. These students, called “Noyce Scholars,” will receive financial support for the full cost of college attendance for the two years of the double major program, and for the required teacher licensure exams. The Noyce Scholars will participate in a professional learning community and workshops that explore topics such as social-emotional learning, resilience, and adverse childhood experiences. Training in effective strategies for working with youth who have experienced trauma is an innovative feature of the project. Upon graduation, Noyce Scholars will be employed in high-need schools. During the first two years of their teaching careers, they will receive mentoring and additional training. This support is designed to help them continue to develop as effective teachers who are culturally responsive, resilient, and skilled at teaching in high-need schools that include Native American and rural populations. Noyce Scholars will be expected to teach in high-need schools for at least four years. This project at Bemidji State University includes partnerships with Peacemaker Resources, Normandale and Mesabi Range Community Colleges, Northwest Service Cooperative, Sourcewell, Cass Lake – Bena School District, Laporte School District, Red Lake School District, Schoolcraft Learning Community, and St. Mary’s Mission School. Project goals include: (i) recruiting and educating 16 undergraduate highly capable undergraduates who are double majoring in mathematics and mathematics education; (ii) identifying significant factors in preparing pre-service teachers to work with high-need students; and (iii) increasing the available pool of licensed secondary mathematics teachers in a high-need area. The project integrates research on Adverse Childhood Experiences, which documents the health and mental challenges faced by people who have a history of such experiences. This knowledge will be integrated as part of the learning community designed to support the Noyce Scholars through a rigorous STEM double major. Project evaluation will include exploration of the impact of educating Noyce Scholars about social and emotional aspects of learning Scholars on their teaching effectiveness in rural schools. This Track 1: Scholarships and Stipends project is supported through the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program (Noyce). 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.