Building Community and Leveraging Summer Research to Prepare Highly Effective Mathematics and Science Teachers for Diverse Urban Schools

Augustana College, Rock Island IL

Investigators

Abstract

This Noyce Track 1 project aims to serve the national need of preparing high-quality mathematics and science teachers who will be ready to be successful and retained in high-need school districts to address critical shortage areas and high teacher turnover inhibiting K-12 STEM student development. Additionally, this project will support 16 biology, chemistry, mathematics, and/or physics scholars by providing scholarships, field experiences, research experiences, relevant community volunteer experiences, mentoring, and other supplemental learning experiences designed to enhance their preparation as STEM teachers. The proposed project components will enable high-achieving prospective STEM teachers to serve in high-need school districts in the Quad Cities area and beyond. This project at Augustana College includes partnerships with Rock Island-Milan School District 41, Moline-Coal Valley School District, United Township School District 30, Davenport (IA) Community School District, East Moline School District 37, and Silvis School District 34. Project goals include producing 16 new STEM teachers, with at least two transferring from community college, over 5 years; recruiting undergraduate chemistry, mathematics, physics, and biology majors; and increasing participants' effectiveness working with students in high-need districts through targeted coursework and field experiences at high-need schools. Further goals include placing all 16 graduates in high-need districts for at least two years for each year of scholarship support received, with all demonstrating effectiveness as STEM teachers in high-need districts, as indicated by onsite evaluation by school administrators. The team will investigate the extent to which project activities influence prospective teachers’ attitudes toward teaching in high-need schools, along with changes in self-efficacy in their STEM content area. Findings hold value for a broad population of teacher education programs and school districts seeking to increase the recruitment, preparation, and retention of effective STEM teachers in high-need districts. Results will be disseminated to a broader audience, including the regional and national STEM education community, teacher preparation program administrators and faculty, and district administrators. Ultimately, the project aims to increase preparation program persistence and mitigate turnover in the teaching profession, while deepening partnerships among higher education, high-need districts, and community colleges. This project will be iteratively evaluated. Evaluation of the project will be guided by the following evaluation questions: (a) Were the program activities implemented as identified in the work plan? (b) Did the program demonstrate intellectual merit through publications, presentations, and program replications? (c) Did the program team accomplish their goals of recruitment, enrollment, and increased effectiveness? (d) What planned and purposeful activities helped to achieve the project goals? and (e) What unanticipated or unplanned outcomes positively and negatively affected the Program? 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.