Creating Curriculum and Community to Support a Diverse, High-Quality STEM Educator Pipeline for Colorado

Colorado Christian University, Lakewood CO

Investigators

Abstract

The project aims to serve the national need for more K-12 teachers with strong backgrounds in STEM. In line with the nation, Colorado has an acute need for STEM teachers who are prepared to teach a diversity K-12 students. This project intends to build capacity for a program of study that could result in a more skilled STEM teacher workforce that is more representative of the K-12 student population in Colorado. The project, through partnerships with K-12 schools, will build capacity for the recruitment and education of STEM majors interested in teaching mathematics and science. Meeting this goal will help fill the need for scientific and technical professionals throughout the greater Denver area, Colorado, and the nation. This project at Colorado Christian University (CCU) includes partnerships with Alameda International Jr./Sr. High School and Littleton High School. Project goals include: (1) Revise CCU STEM and education curricula to create and widen pathways for STEM majors to become prepared teachers; (2) Generate a strong STEM education community, particularly for Hispanic students; and (3) Increase recruitment capacity through expanding K-12 school partnerships. Knowledge gained from this project will be used to develop a Noyce Track 1 Scholarships and Stipends proposal. Collectively, these projects could contribute to understanding ways in which small, faith-based, liberal arts colleges can attract STEM majors for training in secondary STEM education. The project will investigate the effects of building infrastructure and processes that engage and support STEM majors, support new STEM teachers, and strengthen culturally and linguistically responsive pedagogical content. CCU will disseminate project evaluation findings to other small, private universities. 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 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.