Addressing the STEM Teacher Shortage through an Inclusive STEM Teacher Education Pipeline

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The Inclusive STEM Teacher Education Pipeline (ISTEP) project aims to serve the national need to increase the number of highly qualified middle and high school STEM teachers, including those from diverse backgrounds, in high-need schools. The shortage of licensed STEM teachers, particularly teachers representing the demographic backgrounds of most students in high-need schools, is a serious problem that affects southeastern Minnesota as well as the nation. Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota will address this problem by recruiting more high-achieving students, including those from diverse backgrounds, into its STEM+Education dual degree program and Master of Arts in Teaching program. These 24 prospective teachers will be prepared to teach in high-need schools in a state with a growing STEM teacher shortage and significant racial disparity between teachers and students. It is anticipated that ISTEP Scholars’ preparation and mentorship in STEM teaching will improve their future secondary students’ STEM achievement and readiness for post-secondary learning and careers in STEM.This project at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota is in partnership with Winona Area Public School District, a high-need school district and the Rochester STEM Academy, which serves students from high-need communities. Over the five year project, project goals will include: (1) increasing the number of secondary STEM teachers from diverse backgrounds committed to teaching in high-need local education agencies (LEAs) in southeastern Minnesota; (2) strengthening the pipeline of secondary STEM teachers from diverse backgrounds committed to teaching in high-need LEAs in southeastern Minnesota by institutionalizing the key ISTEP project components of recruiting, preparing, and supporting retention of diverse, high-quality secondary STEM teachers in high-need LEA schools; and (3) contributing to the knowledge base related to recruitment, preparation, and retention of secondary STEM teachers from diverse backgrounds. The project's 24 high-achieving prospective teachers (13 undergraduates and 11 at the master’s degree level) will either (1) obtain dual degrees, with one degree being a baccalaureate degree in biology, chemistry, or mathematics, and the other in secondary education (referred to as STEM+Education); or (2) will already possess a baccalaureate degree in a STEM discipline and will earn a Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT). ISTEP Scholar recruitment will include a diverse set of strategies for both undergraduates and STEM professionals. Scholar mentoring will be implemented within a Cognitive Coaching framework. An external evaluator will assist the ISTEP management team in advancing the frontiers of knowledge in recruitment, preparation, and retention of secondary STEM teachers from diverse backgrounds. Improving the quality of science education at the secondary level by preparing teachers of diverse backgrounds licensed in STEM fields will ultimately contribute to a diverse, globally competitive STEM workforce. This Track 1: Scholarships and Stipends 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.