ESPRIT de Corps: Expanding STEM Professionals Roles in Teaching

认识到全国STEM教师短缺，特别是在高需求学校，休斯顿大学下城区的合作者设计了一个Noyce教学研究员（TF）项目，以增加大休斯顿地区高危学校高素质科学和数学教师的数量。该项目的一个补充目标是增加双学分STEM教师的供应。该项目将通过课程和专业发展计划，促进20名STEM专业人员向教学职业过渡，该计划包括(a)教学文学硕士学位(b)与教师/领导者的实地体验，(c)课堂观察，以及(d)在线专业实践社区。该项目由STEM教师和来自城市教育部的合作者领导，依赖于当前关于教师准备的研究，这些研究涉及提高教师在拥有不同学习者的高需求城市学校中茁壮成长的能力，以及应对此类学校面临的标准问题。它还利用了创建在线学习社区和培训高中教师教授大学水平课程的当前趋势。形成性评估将包括对助教在整个项目中的进展进行评估，包括他们的感知能力和自我效能，认证考试分数，以及教师、导师和校长的观察结果。总结性评估还将包括TF的教学对学生成绩和职业兴趣的影响。研究结果将在全国科学教师协会和科学技术中心协会等专业协会的会议上发表。

In recognition of the national shortage of STEM teachers, especially in high needs schools, collaborators at the University of Houston-Downtown have designed a Noyce Teaching Fellows (TF) project to increase the number of highly qualified science and math teachers in at-risk schools in the greater Houston area. A complementary goal of this project will be to increase the supply of dual credit STEM teachers. The project will facilitate the transition of 20 STEM professionals into teaching careers through a program of coursework and professional development featuring (a) a Masters of Arts in Teaching (b) field experiences with teacher/leaders, (c) classroom observations, and (d) an online, professional community of practice.This project, led by STEM faculty and collaborators from the Urban Education Department, relies on current research on teacher preparation related to improving their ability to thrive in high-needs urban schools with diverse learners and to cope with standard issues that such schools face. It also takes advantage of current trends for creating online learning communities and training high school instructors to teach college-level courses. Formative evaluation will involve the assessment of the TF's progress throughout the project, regarding their perceived competence and self-efficacy, certification test scores, and results of observations by faculty, mentors and principals. Summative assessment will also include the impact of TF's teaching on student achievement scores and career interest. Results will be presented at conferences and meetings of professional societies such as the National Science teachers Association and the Association of Science-Technology Centers.