Transforming Effective Educators of Mathematics and Science in Southeast Virginia

Virginia Wesleyan University, Virginia Beach VA

Investigators

Abstract

Noyce Track 1 project at Virginia Wesleyan University (VWU) aims to serve the national need of preparing highly qualified STEM teachers and leaders. Additionally, this project will support 15 scholars/fellows from STEM majors, specifically, biology, mathematics, earth and environmental science, and chemistry by providing scholarships, internships and opportunities for collaboration with faculty to present at Noyce conferences. The proposed project components will enable high-achieving prospective teachers to become highly qualified STEM teachers with extensive expertise in active learning instruction, methodology and content knowledge, and application. This project at Virginia Wesleyan University includes partnerships with local high-need Hampton Roads school districts, including Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Portsmouth and Norfolk. Project goals include graduating 15 new STEM teachers over five years by recruiting undergraduate and graduate biology, chemistry, mathematics and earth and environmental students into the program, and the implementation of the "KEEP" program – Keeping Exceptional Educators in Place – a mentoring/support program designed to help Noyce graduates who are working in schools, in order to prevent attrition. This project will be iteratively evaluated. Evaluation of the project will be guided by the following evaluation question(s): (a) What does the program entail upon implementation? (b) Do program elements reflect best practice? (c) What are VWU recruits', students', graduates', and program leaders’/ implementers’, perceptions of implemented strategies? (d) Are program elements effective? (e) Who participated in and completed the program? (f) Are the graduates prepared and effective? (g) What elements appear effective in supporting Noyce Scholars as they begin their teaching careers? (h) What products did the team develop and disseminate regarding this project? and (i) Did the team adhere to the project implementation plan? The results of this project will be disseminated to help enhance the field. 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 teachers to become STEM master teachers in high-need school districts. It also supports research on the effectiveness and retention 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.