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

The 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. To address these needs the project will increase enrollment of talented STEM undergraduate majors pursuing teaching, deepen experience in diverse urban education environments, formalize community-building activities, add relevant community service, advance a distinctive summer research model, and enhance new teacher supports through teacher induction and mentoring.

The added community building and community service will increase culturally sensitive preparation and retention while serving the needs of students and schools in the surrounding region and nation. Expected outcomes are the successful recruitment and preparation of prospective teachers and their post-graduation effectiveness as highly qualified mathematics, physics, biology, and chemistry teachers who fulfill their commitment to teaching in high-need school districts in the Quad Cities area, Chicago, 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, Silvis School District 34, and Epic Academy in City of Chicago School District #299. 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 diverse populations in high-need districts through targeted coursework and field experiences at high-need schools designed to improve inter-cultural competency.

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 content area, knowledge of culturally responsive teaching practices, and awareness of privilege and institutional discrimination.

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 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.