Building Capacity to Increase the Pool of Highly Qualified STEM Teachers in High-Need Texas School Districts with Predominantly Hispanic Student Populations

该项目旨在解决国家和地区层面对科学，技术，工程和数学（STEM）K-12教师的需求。为了实现这一目标，位于德克萨斯州圣安东尼奥的为期四年的西班牙裔服务机构--圣玛丽玛丽大学将与当地教育机构合作，在其STEM教师认证项目中评估和建设能力。该项目将广泛关注改善STEM专业寻求教师执照的管道。 此外，它将鼓励STEM职前教师在高需求的学校任教，并制定战略和资源，以支持STEM职前教师完成本科学习和职业K-12教学生涯的早期阶段。 这项工作将包括对可能影响有效教师准备计划发展的可用资源进行仔细调查，并与当地学区建立伙伴关系。 该项目还将努力了解影响西班牙裔和其他学生在做出教育和职业选择时的因素。 玛丽大学的这个项目包括与诺斯赛德独立学区（诺斯赛德ISD）和圣安东尼奥ISD的合作伙伴关系。项目目标包括：1）分析基线数据，以探索合作伙伴当地教育机构对高素质STEM教师的需求; 2）了解西班牙裔和其他学生在做出教育和职业选择时所面临的动机和障碍，特别是是否主修STEM领域并追求K-12 STEM教育者的职业生涯; 3）评估现有的大学基础设施，为学生招聘和STEM教师准备提供强大的计划;和4）制定一项全面的计划，以提高大学的能力，（a）成功地招募，保留和毕业的人才作为STEM教师;以及（B）在他们在高需求学区担任教师的第一年为他们提供支持。该项目将产生新的知识，有效的招聘和支持机制，为不同的职前教师，在合作伙伴关系，主要是西班牙裔学生的学区。预计项目成果将有助于扩大K-12 STEM教学参与的持续努力。这个能力建设项目是通过罗伯特诺伊斯教师奖学金计划（诺伊斯）的支持。诺伊斯计划支持有才华的STEM本科专业和专业人士成为有效的K-12 STEM教师和经验丰富的模范K-12教师，成为高需求学区的STEM硕士教师。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This project aims to address the need for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) K-12 teachers at both the national and regional level. Toward this aim, St. Mary’s University, a four-year Hispanic Serving Institution in San Antonio, Texas, will work with local education agency partners to evaluate and build capacity within its STEM Teacher Certification programs. The project will focus broadly on improving the pipeline for STEM majors seeking teacher licensure. In addition, it will encourage STEM pre-service teachers to teach in high-need schools and develop strategies and resources to support STEM pre-service teachers through their undergraduate studies and early stages of their professional K-12 teaching careers. This effort will include a careful investigation of available resources that might influence the development of an effective teacher preparation program and partnerships with local school districts. The project will also work to understand factors that impact Hispanic and other students as they make educational and career choices. This project at St. Mary’s University includes partnerships with the Northside Independent School District (Northside ISD) and the San Antonio ISD. Project goals include: 1) analyzing baseline data to explore the need for highly qualified STEM teachers in the partner local education agencies; 2) understanding the motivations and obstacles faced by Hispanic and other students as they make educational and career choices, particularly whether to major in STEM fields and to pursue a career as a K-12 STEM educator; 3) evaluating the existing university infrastructure for a robust program for student recruitment and STEM teacher preparation; and 4) developing a comprehensive plan to enhance the University’s ability to (a) successfully recruit, retain, and graduate talented students as STEM teachers; and (b) to support them during their first year as teachers in high-needs school districts. The project will generate new knowledge about effective recruiting and support mechanisms for diverse pre-service teachers, in partnership with school districts that have predominantly Hispanic student populations. Project outcomes are expected to contribute to ongoing efforts to broaden participation in K-12 STEM teaching. 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 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.