Developing Resilient STEM Teachers for High-Need Middle Schools

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Developing Resilient STEM Teachers for High-Need Middle Schools is a Track 1 Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship project. The project will address the national demand for qualified STEM teachers in Arizona. This shortage is a result of two primary factors: the lack of qualified candidates entering the profession and the retention of qualified candidates who become teachers and leave the profession within two years. This Track 1 Noyce project will address this shortage by implementing a mentorship program to guide the development of new teachers at Title I schools in two high-need districts in the Phoenix, AZ region. Arizona State University will support this project through: (1) preparing 24 new highly qualified teachers (with a bachelor's degree in a STEM field) to become a certified K - 8 teacher while earning a Master's degree; (2) retaining middle school mathematics and science teachers through a three-year induction program; and (3) training teachers in teaching practices that are known to support STEM career paths for underrepresented groups (minorities and women). As part of the project, Noyce Scholars will be prepared to use curriculum materials that incorporate state-of-the-art engineering practices. Scholars will use these materials in engineering summer camps for middle school students and their families.Developing Resilient STEM Teachers for High-Need Middle Schools will provide one-year Noyce stipends to two cohorts of 12 students. The project will produce 24 highly qualified mathematics and science middle school teachers who can positively impact students in high-need schools. As a form of teacher development, Noyce scholars will teach in an on-campus engineering summer camp. Additionally, the project will include a teacher induction mentorship program focused on improving teacher quality through professional development. Through placement of expert teachers in high-need districts, the project has the potential to positively affect more than 3,600 students each year after the grant concludes. Middle school students will benefit by receiving a quality education from teachers who are trained to be leaders in STEM. With a quality classroom experience, students will be more likely to pursue STEM courses as they progress into high school and to acquire the knowledge needed to thrive in STEM careers.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.