Gaining Retention and Effectiveness though Advancing Teacher-Centered STEM Professional Learning for STEM Elementary Teachers in Rural Communities

通过推进以教师为中心的农村STEM小学教师专业学习获得保留率和有效性项目旨在通过为教师提供专业学习(PL)计划来服务于提高高需求学区K-12 STEM教师的保留率和有效性的国家需求，该计划包括四个主要组成部分：(A)教师确定的专业学习需求和目标，(B)基于能力的在线微证书，(C)微证书指导支持，以及(D)教师对其成就的补偿和认可。有必要为K-12 STEM教师提供能够改善教学并将他们留在课堂上的PL。该项目为STEM教师提供了自主决定侧重哪些教学技能的自主权，以及决定何时何地完成PL的灵活性，从而满足了这一需求。PL的个性化，加上教练的支持，承认教师是专业人士，有能力指导他们的专业成长。这种干预提供的自主性、灵活性和认可度旨在以一种能够为教师和他们所服务的学生带来积极结果的方式来支持教师。阿巴拉契亚州立大学(阿巴拉契亚)与北卡罗来纳州立大学(NCSU)和北卡罗来纳州阿舍县学校合作的Noyce Track 4项目旨在研究和测试一种新模式，通过为教师提供专业的PL计划来促进高需求学区K-12 STEM教师的留住和有效性。这一特别计划的四个主要组成部分包括：(A)教师确定的需求评估和学习合同；(B)基于能力的在线微证书；(C)对教师的微证书辅导支持；以及(D)教师对其成就的补偿和认可。这一专业学习计划的关键是让教师自主地进行专业学习，并辅之以教练支持和其他多样性、公平性和包容性做法。第一阶段的重点是选择以STEM为重点的微型证书，以创建专业学习经验的储存库。第二阶段测试使用STEM微型证书的专业学习模式对教师保留率和有效性的影响。这种独特的专业学习模式将教师保持教师资格证书的货币从基于时间的模式转变为基于能力的模式。该项目有可能支持教师在STEM中的优先事项、目标和兴趣，并通过专业成长提高教师的能力。这个Track 4：Noyce研究项目是由Robert Noyce教师奖学金计划(Noyce)支持的。Noyce计划支持有才华的STEM本科专业和专业人员成为有效的K-12 STEM教师，并支持经验丰富、模范的K-12教师成为高需求学区的STEM硕士教师。它还支持对高需求学区K-12 STEM教师的有效性和留住的研究。这一奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The Gaining Retention and Effectiveness though Advancing Teacher-Centered STEM Professional Learning for STEM Elementary Teachers in Rural Communities project aims to serve the national need of improving retention and effectiveness of K-12 STEM teachers in high-need school districts by providing teachers with a professional learning (PL) program that includes four main components: (a) teacher-identified PL needs and goals, (b) competency-based, online micro-credentials, (c) micro-credential coaching support, and (d) teacher compensation and recognition for their achievements. There is a need to provide K-12 STEM teachers with PL that can improve instruction and retain them in classrooms. This project addresses this need by providing STEM teachers the autonomy to decide which pedagogical skills to focus and the flexibility to determine when and where to complete the PL. The personalization in PL, coupled with coaching support, recognizes teachers as professionals, capable of directing their professional growth. The autonomy, flexibility, and recognition afforded by this intervention aims to support teachers in a way that could have positive outcomes for teachers and the students that they serve. This Noyce Track 4 project at Appalachian State University (Appalachian) in partnership with North Carolina State University (NCSU) and Ashe County Schools in North Carolina is positioned to research and test a new model to promote the retention and effectiveness of K-12 STEM teachers in high-need school districts by providing teachers a professional PL program. The four main components of this PL include: (a) teacher-identified needs assessments and learning contracts, (b) competency-based, online micro-credentials, (c) micro-credential coaching support for teachers, and (d) teacher compensation and recognition for their achievements. Key to this professional learning initiative is the autonomy for teachers to personalize professional learning coupled with coaching support and other diversity, equity, and inclusion practices. Phase I focuses on the selection of STEM-focused micro-credentials to create a repository of professional learning experiences. Phase II tests the impacts of a professional learning model that uses STEM micro-credentials on teacher retention and effectiveness. This unique model of professional learning shifts the currency by which teachers maintain their teaching license credentials from a time-based to a competency-based model. This project has the potential to support teachers’ priorities, goals, and interests in STEM and enhance teachers’ competencies through professional growth. This Track 4: Noyce Research 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 effectiveness and retention 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.