Rural Enhancement of Mathematics and Science Teachers

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Over a four-year period, the Rural Enhancement of Mathematics And Science Teachers (REMAST) program at South Dakota State University (SDSU) is awarding up to sixteen $10,000 scholarships per year to students pursuing 7 -12 certification in the areas of Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, or Physics, leading to the graduation of 24 new teachers over four years. The goals of the project are to: increase the number of students pursuing 7-12 Certification in Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, or Physics; provide rural school districts with highly qualified mathematics and science teachers; and foster a support system that will help recruit and retain teachers in rural districts. The REMAST program is recruiting students to these majors and producing more teachers in these areas. Once students are involved in the REMAST program, they are mentored by a faculty member in their content area, participate in student organizations and program activities, and attend the annual South Dakota Council of Teachers of Mathematics and South Dakota Science Teachers Association (SDCTM/SDSTA) joint meeting. All of these activities focus on the students becoming professionals in the field of mathematics and science education. By forming partnerships with six of the seven Educational Service Agencies (ESA) in South Dakota, the REMAST program is having an impact on mathematics and science education across the entire state. Students intern in partnership schools with growing minority populations and economic disparity to prepare them for fulfilling the teaching service requirement associated with the scholarship. Noyce Scholars who are placed in high-need districts in the partnering ESAs participate in a mentorship program for new teachers. During their first year of teaching, REMAST graduates are mentored by a team consisting of an SDSU faculty member in the content area and an experienced teacher in the ESA. Partnering Educational Service Agencies contain a number of Bureau of Indian Affairs and Tribal Schools and Noyce Scholars are encouraged to seek teaching positions in these districts. The recruitment of science and math teachers is designed to help meet the need for highly qualified teachers in rural areas of South Dakota. The evaluation component focuses on the effectiveness of the program in recruiting students into teaching, retention of math and science teachers in high need school districts, their motivation to teach, and the teachers' content specific knowledge.