Emerging and Effective Culturally Relevant Practices for Mathematics and Science Teaching in High Needs Schools

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With support from the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program (Noyce), this project aims to serve the national need for high quality mathematics and science teaching and learning. A key component of the project includes hosting three annual regional conferences, virtual and face-to-face workshops, and professional development webinars. The annual regional Noyce conferences will facilitate interactions among Noyce Scholars, Fellows, and project leadership teams, including both STEM and education faculty. The conferences and accompanying activities will provide professional growth experiences and community building opportunities for preservice and practicing mathematics and science teachers. These efforts have potential to develop an established network of teachers and teacher educators who will share teacher preparation programmatic results, mathematics and science instructional lessons, and mentoring strategies for keeping teachers engaged in the profession. The structure of the network will respond to the need for evidence-based communities of practice in high-need schools and districts. Sustaining professional networks of practice among Noyce Scholars and Fellows can help to support overall teacher satisfaction and long-term persistence in diverse classrooms and the teaching profession. This project at Illinois State University will include partnerships with University of Missouri - St. Louis, Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville, and Kansas State University. Over three years, the project will: (i) develop learning communities for preservice and inservice mathematics and science teachers; (ii) use evidence-based teaching practices to increase the personal and professional connections among Noyce project leadership and Noyce Scholars in the Midwest region; and (iii) increase the understanding of and enhance the implementation of culturally relevant practices for mathematics and science teaching and learning among Noyce Scholars and Fellows. The project will serve an average of 500 members of the Noyce community each year. The annual conferences and supplemental ongoing activities will provide a network of support to Noyce projects with the goal of improving Noyce project effectiveness throughout the Midwest. The Noyce Midwest region includes 16 states: Arkansas, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. 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.