Those Who Can Teach: Preparing STEM Graduates for Effective Teaching and Enhancing Student Learning in Science and Mathematics

本Track 1 Robert Noyce教师奖学金项目旨在招募和培养21名本科物理、化学、生物和数学专业的学生成为中学科学和数学教师。该项目由阿拉巴马州农工大学（AAMU）领导，这是一所历史悠久的黑人学院和大学，该项目旨在帮助来自弱势群体的学生在阿拉巴马州北部高需求的学习环境中教书。实现这一目标还将有助于满足国家对教师队伍多样化的需求。“那些能教书的人”项目的目标是：(1)增加在高需求学校工作的高素质科学和数学教师的数量，包括阿拉巴马州北部高需求的农村学校；(2)加大对STEM专业中学教师的招聘和挽留力度；(3)实施具有挑战性的课程，以确保Noyce学者在内容、教学方法和文化多样性方面具有竞争力；(4)支持项目参与者，确保他们在入职前和入职期间取得成功。入选的一年级和二年级学生将参加为期一周的教学实习，目的是提高他们对教学和诺伊斯学者项目的兴趣。诺伊斯学者将在他们的大三和大四获得奖学金支持，并在他们开始教学后获得入职支持。奖学金获得者将被要求在高需求的学区任教两年，以获得每年的奖学金支持。“那些能教书的人”项目将把重点放在将诺伊斯学者安排到合作学区，在已经确定科学和数学教师严重短缺的学校任教。三所阿拉巴马州社区学院合作伙伴，卡尔霍恩社区学院，劳森州立社区学院和德雷克州立社区学院将与AAMU合作，招募21名本科STEM学者，在中学科学和数学课堂上学习。该项目将与AAMU的招生办公室、新生学院、注册办公室和社区学院合作伙伴密切合作，确定主修STEM学科的入学一年级、二年级和转学生。包括社交媒体在内的有针对性的强大招聘策略将被用来吸引STEM专业的学生进入教学职业。该项目打算将50%的奖学金奖励给社区大学的转校生。对于完成教师培训计划和认证要求的学者，该项目将帮助他们在合作学区（亨茨维尔市、麦迪逊县和莱姆斯通县）的高需求学校就业。“那些能教书的人”项目希望其项目评估工作能让人们更深入地了解如何让STEM学生走上教学之路。通过与社区大学合作伙伴和学区合作，该项目可能能够为STEM专业学生成为中学教师建立一条途径，并了解项目支持如何为21名认证教师学者的保留和成功做出贡献。在项目成功实施后，其他面临科学和数学教师短缺的社区可能会受益于用于招募、准备、安置和支持STEM专业学生在高需求学区的中学科学和数学课堂教学的策略和方法。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This Track 1 Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship project aims to recruit and prepare 21 undergraduate physics, chemistry, biology, and mathematics majors to become secondary science and mathematics teachers. Led by Alabama A&M University (AAMU), a historically Black College and University, the project is well-positioned to prepare students from under-represented groups to teach in high-need learning environments in northern Alabama. Achieving this goal will also help meet a national need to diversify the teaching workforce. The goals of the Those Who Can Teach project are to: (1) increase the pool of highly-qualified science and mathematics teachers working in high-need schools, including high-need rural schools in northern Alabama; (2) improve recruitment and retention efforts of STEM majors as secondary teachers; (3) implement a challenging curriculum to ensure Noyce Scholars are competent in content, pedagogy, and cultural diversity; and (4) support project participants to ensure their success during their pre-service and induction periods. Selected first- and second year students will participate in a week-long teaching-focused internship, with the goal of increasing their interest in teaching and in the Noyce Scholars program. Noyce Scholars will receive scholarship support in their junior and senior years, and induction support once they are teaching. Scholars will be required to teach for two years in high-needs school districts for each year of scholarship support. The Those Who Can Teach project will focus on placing Noyce Scholars in partnering school districts, to teach in schools where critical teacher shortages in science and mathematics have been identified.Three Alabama community college partners, Calhoun Community College, Lawson State Community College, and Drake State Community College will collaborate with AAMU to recruit and place 21 undergraduate STEM Scholars in secondary science and mathematics classrooms. Working closely with the Admissions Office, Freshman Academy, and the Registrar's Office at AAMU and the community college partners, the project will identify enrolled first-year, second-year, and transfer students who are majoring in STEM disciplines. Targeted robust recruitment strategies, including social media, will be used to attract STEM majors into teaching careers. The project intends to award 50% of the scholarships to community college transfer students. For Scholars who complete the teacher preparation program and certification requirements, the project will help them obtain employment in high-need schools in partnering school districts (Huntsville City, Madison County, and Limestone County). The Those Who Can Teach project expects that its program evaluation efforts will provide a deeper understanding of how STEM students can be placed on a path to teaching. By working with community college partners and school districts, the project may be able to establish a pathway for STEM majors to become secondary teachers and to learn how project supports contributed to the retention and success of the 21 certified teacher Scholars. After successful project implementation, other communities experiencing a shortage of science and mathematics teachers may benefit from the strategies and approaches used to recruit, prepare, place, and support STEM majors on the pathway to teaching in secondary science and mathematics classrooms 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.