A Collaborative Network to Increase the Number of High-Quality Secondary School STEM Teachers in Georgia

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With support from the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program (Noyce), this Track 1: Scholarships and Stipends project at Columbus State University aims to serve the national and local need of preparing high-quality Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) teachers for high-need school districts. Columbus State University will work in cooperation with the Muscogee County School District to prepare STEM teachers who are well-grounded in STEM disciplines. The project intends to recruit individuals pursuing or possessing baccalaureate degrees in a STEM discipline and prepare them to become middle and high school mathematics, computer science, and science teachers who can meet the needs of students in high-need schools. Nearly two-thirds of all high school students enrolled in Muscogee County School District qualify for free or reduced lunch. Ten of nineteen middle and high schools in the district are Title 1 schools. The funding support from this grant will help the region address both STEM workforce requirements and the shortage of teachers in an impoverished socioeconomic environment. Specifically, internships will be provided to recruit potential pre-service STEM teachers and scholarships will be provided to support the costs of pre-service STEM teacher education. In addition, the project aims to create a Community of Reflective Practitioners for interns, Scholars, graduates, and other interested students and faculty. The project relies on a well-established network of support at Columbus State University and Muscogee County School District, which is expected to improve the training of pre-service Scholars and the induction of new teachers, thus improving the retention of teachers in high-need schools.Over a five-year period, the project aims to provide 96 one-semester internships and 48 one-year scholarships. This support is intended to result in the preparation of 24 new STEM educators. Although some of the Scholars may be individuals with STEM baccalaureate degrees, the majority will be undergraduates working to earn bachelor's degrees in STEM disciplines. Recruitment will include STEM majors in chemistry, biology, earth and space sciences, mathematics, and computer science. The project will implement an Intern-Scholar-Mentor Triad model, which is expected to increase the duration of the teacher candidates' engagement with Mentor Teachers in a high needs school. Regular commitments of time to work with the mentor teacher in the school setting will immerse the teacher candidates in the school culture. This immersion is aimed at addressing some of the myths about working in high-need settings and at building intern and Scholar self-efficacy in these environments. The Noyce program supports talented STEM undergraduate majors and professionals to become effective K-12 STEM teachers and experienced, exemplary K-12 STEM teachers to become STEM master teachers in high-need school districts. It also supports research on the persistence, retention, and effectiveness of K-12 STEM teachers 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.