Developing and Strengthening Partnerships to Support Teacher Recruitment and Retention

California State University-Long Beach Foundation, Long Beach CA

Investigators

Abstract

The project aims to serve the national need of building capacity to address the critical teacher shortage and diversity gap between students and STEM teachers. Ultimately, the goal of the project is to support the recruitment, development, and retention of STEM teachers who are committed to and have the dispositions for teaching in high-need schools. This project intends to build institutional capacity in secondary mathematics and science teacher education through development of expanded partnerships across its colleges and with local high-need school districts and community programs. These partnerships, which will foster mentoring and summer experiences for prospective teachers, will support the recruitment and retention of a diverse pool of secondary mathematics and science teachers. This project at California State University, Long Beach builds upon the existing collaborative relationship between mathematics and science education in the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics and the secondary teacher credential program in the College of Education, in partnership with the Long Beach Unified and ABC Unified school districts, local non-profit agencies, and the College of Engineering. The intellectual merit of the proposed project lies in applying research theories of prospective teacher cohort engagement, mentoring of beginning teachers, retention, and culturally relevant pedagogy to corresponding program activities. These include developing and piloting professional development activities based on needs assessments for districts' induction programs and the needs of mentor teachers. The broader impact of this work lies in the team building and collaboration that is essential to launching a major project across sectors. The impact this could have on high-need schools, the STEM teacher shortage and diversity gap across California, the preparation and support of future mathematics and science teachers, and the students attending their schools is considerable. This Capacity Building 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 teachers to become STEM master teachers in high-need school districts. It also supports research on the 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.