RET Site: High School Teacher Experience in Engineering Design and Manufacturing

休斯顿大学技术学院（UH）的RET站点是一所西班牙裔服务机构，其目标是为高中STEM教师提供从事创新工程设计和制造研究的机会，并开发先进的高中STEM课程模块。第83届德克萨斯州立法机构建立了新的基础高中计划，即众议院法案5，作为2014-2015年开始进入高中的所有学生的默认高中毕业计划。众议院第5号法案要求在高中课程中加强STEM内容，作为毕业要求的一部分。然而，许多高中教师没有接受足够的培训来准备新的STEM模块。德州第四区覆盖休斯顿大都会区。它服务于48个学区，拥有120万学生（占德州学生总数的23%）和97,000名教师。RET网站将是招聘高中教师获得设计和制造经验以及开发课程模块的及时机会。RET站点将在UH、第四地区教育服务中心（ESC4）、学区和当地工业之间形成强有力的合作伙伴关系，共同开展高级高中工程教育。RET现场项目包括为期六周的校园暑期专业发展活动和下一学年的广泛后续计划。该基地将在3年内共招聘36名（每年12名）不同背景的高中教师，从事先进的工程设计和制造研究；2)开发和实施创新课程，将UH在先进设计和制造方面的前沿研究转化为高中课堂，并满足德克萨斯州基本知识和技能（TEKS）标准和NGSS标准；3)提供跨学科和实践经验，激发教师和学生对STEM的兴趣。在休斯顿独立学区（HISD），少数民族人口占85.86%，74.93%的学生处于经济劣势。这个RET网站将重点从代表性不足的群体中招聘，包括妇女、少数民族和残疾人。学年后续包括课程模块讨论和反馈，学校访问和会议。参与者的研究经验将通过会议、teachengineering.org、RET网站等渠道传播给其他教师。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。

The goal of the RET site in the College of Technology at University of Houston (UH), a Hispanic Serving Institution, is to provide opportunities for high school STEM teachers to engage in innovative engineering design and manufacturing research, as well as develop advanced high school STEM curriculum modules. The 83rd Texas Legislature established the new Foundation High School Program, House Bill 5, as the default high school graduation program for all students entering high school beginning in 2014-2015. House Bill 5 requires enhanced STEM contents in high school curriculum as part of the graduate requirement. However, many high school teachers have not received sufficient training to prepare the new STEM modules. Texas Region IV covers the Houston Metropolitan area. It serves 48 school districts with 1.2 million students (23% of all Texas students) and 97,000 teachers. The RET site will be a timely opportunity to recruit high school teachers to gain experience in design and manufacturing and develop course modules.The RET site will form a strong partnership between UH, Education Service Center for Region IV (ESC4), school districts, and local industries on advanced high school engineering education. The RET site program consists of professional development activities in a six weeks summer program on campus and extensive follow-up plans in the following academic year. The site will 1) recruit a total of 36 (12 per year) high school teachers with diverse backgrounds for three years to engage in advanced engineering design and manufacturing research; 2) develop and implement an innovative curriculum by translating cutting-edge research in advanced design and manufacturing from UH into high school classrooms, and meeting Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) standards and NGSS standards; and 3) provide interdisciplinary and hands-on experience to stimulate the interest of teachers and students in STEM. In Houston Independent School District (HISD), the minority population is 85.86%, and 74.93% of students are economically disadvantaged. This RET Site will place emphasis on recruitment from underrepresented groups including women, minorities, and persons with disabilities. Academic-year follow-up includes course module discussion and feedback, school visits, and conferences. The research experience by the participants will be disseminated to fellow teachers through conferences, teachengineering.org, RET website, and other channels.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.