Leveraging Partnerships to Increase the Number of Highly Qualified Mathematics and Computer Science Teachers

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This project aims to build capacity to prepare high-quality STEM teachers for high-need schools and school districts, a critical national need. As the nation expands its STEM initiatives to meet workforce demands, the need is also expanding for more, highly qualified STEM teachers. To address this need, the project will identify strategies to increase the number of highly qualified mathematics and computer science teachers, and develop a pathway to best accomplish this goal. Specifically, the project intends to develop a STEM master's degree program with a concentration in STEM Education, which leads to teacher certification. Project activities will include designing new STEM education graduate courses and revising the institution’s mathematics and computer science master's degree programs. This project aims expects that the newly created degree programs will increase the number of highly qualified STEM teachers in high-need school districts, thus enriching the STEM education of students in these districts. This project includes partnerships between the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Hamilton County Schools, and the Public Education Foundation, a local non-profit organization that specializes in STEM teacher professional development. Such partnerships will support the project’s success, since designing program activities that meet the needs of each partner is likely to enhance the quality of the teacher leaders that the project will produce. Project goals include: (a) strengthening existing strategic partnerships among STEM departments and faculty at the University, Hamilton County School administration and teachers, and Public Education Foundation; (b) designing STEM Education graduate courses; (c) revising master’s degree programs in mathematics and computer science programs that will lead to teacher certification; and (d) designing ongoing professional development for project participants. All design and planning will be grounded in research-based practices and developed in accordance with current practitioner recommendations documented in the teacher leadership literature. For example, the project will follow recommendations for a 14-month residency program. This collaboration, which includes higher education, a local educational agency, a nonprofit, and industry, will disseminate information about the program to all stakeholders. 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.