Paso del Norte Texas Computer Science Teaching Fellows

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The project aims to serve the national need of preparing high-quality computer science (CS) teachers. With technology present in all aspects of daily life, one of the fastest growing occupations is computer and information technology. In this project, CS graduates will be recruited as Teaching Fellows (TFs) who will enter a one-year graduate program in education to receive a Master’s degree and teacher certification. It is anticipated the TFs will possess the knowledge and skills to teach high quality CS principles while at the same time inspiring secondary students, especially Hispanics, to explore a future in computer and information technology. This project at The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) includes partnerships with the El Paso Independent School District (EPISD) and CSforAll, a national nonprofit organization supporting K-12 CS education. The project goal is to increase the number of CS teachers, especially those who are Hispanic, in the Paso del Norte region of Far West Texas on the U.S/Mexico border. To meet this goal, 10 individuals holding at least a baccalaureate degree in CS will receive financial support for the Master's program and will commit to a minimum of four years of teaching in a high-need district. During this time, each Fellow will receive a salary supplement. UTEP has developed an authentic partnership with EPISD through adoption of an innovative model through the University-School Partnerships for the Renewal of Educator Preparation, or US PREP. The model incorporates a newly developed residency program and involves the use of data to support continuous improvement efforts. External evaluation will measure the effectiveness of the TFs as teachers and potential teacher leaders. This Track 2: Teaching Fellowships 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.