Building Capacity for New Pathways to a Career in Mathematics Teaching in Central Alabama

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This project aims to serve the national need of preparing highly effective mathematics teachers to meet the acute national shortage of secondary mathematics teachers. In Alabama, many teaching positions are filled through Provisional and Emergency Certification status. The shortage of certified teachers is particularly acute in rural and high-need schools. Adding to the problem, there has been a sharp drop in the number of undergraduates enrolled in teacher education programs nationwide. This project will engage partners within and outside the University to design a program that will prepare “career changers” who already have a strong background in mathematics to pursue a career in teaching mathematics. The project will collect data to design a streamlined entry into a teacher education program. This program will emphasize development of the candidates’ knowledge of mathematics teaching and learning, so they are prepared for success in the classroom. Such a streamlined approach is anticipated to make participation in the program more feasible for potential candidates and provide immediate assistance to high-need school districts struggling to find qualified mathematics teachers. The Capacity Building project is led by Auburn University and includes partnerships within its College of Education, Department of Curriculum and Teaching, College of Sciences and Mathematics, and the Department of Mathematics and Statistics; with high-needs school districts including Tallapoosa County Schools, Russell County Schools, Opelika City Schools, and Auburn City Schools; and with two state-funded organizations supporting teacher professional development (Alabama Mathematics, Science, and Technology Initiative and the East Alabama Regional Inservice Center). Project objectives include: (1) Building partnerships among those with a stake in ensuring an adequate supply of mathematics teachers; (2) Collaboratively exploring new efficient, effective, and practical approaches for career changers to enter the teaching profession; (3) Beginning the course and curriculum design needed for approval by Auburn University and the State Department of Education; and (4) Exploration of recruitment strategies. The project design will build on research done by other teacher education programs across the nation. This Capacity Building project is supported through the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program (Noyce). 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.