Developing Effective Mathematics and Science Teachers by Expanding Partnerships with High-Need School Districts with Diverse Student Populations

The project aims to address the pressing national need for secondary mathematics and science teachers by recruiting STEM majors into teaching careers and preparing them to succeed in high-need schools with diverse student populations. The project partners with school districts in Lancaster and York counties, which include a diverse student population, along with over 400 refugee students speaking more than 30 languages.

STEM educators will be trained and supported through a professional development school model that promotes critical skills, such as cultural competency, essential for teaching effectively in high-need districts. By enhancing the education these students receive, retention is likely to increase, thus improving the well-being of the diverse population students enrolled in these districts and making them more likely to join the next generation of the STEM workforce.

This Millersville University (MU) project, in partnership with the School District of Lancaster and the City of York School District, aims to recruit and train 15 undergraduate STEM majors to become highly effective STEM teachers in high-need districts. To achieve these goals, the project will rely on the institutional support of the STEM Education Advisory Board and a STEM Education graduate assistant.

The broader impacts will enhance educational efficacy in high-need schools, potentially improving the well-being and long-term success the students enrolled in these schools. The intellectual merit of the project lies in developing skills and cultural competency of STEM teachers through participation in group activities and attendance at professional workshops and educational conferences.

Internal and external evaluations will help determine which activities have the most significant impact. This utilization-focused project will identify key factors in recruiting STEM students to become educators, preparing highly effective educators for high-need districts, and supporting practicing STEM teachers. This Track 1: Scholarships and Stipends project is supported through the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program (Noyce) and is partially supported by funds from Micron Foundation.

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 project is funded by the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program

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.