Transforming STEM Professionals into Culturally Responsive STEM Teachers

该项目旨在满足国家的需要，培养高素质、高效率的中学STEM教师，他们将在高需求的学区服务。在全国范围内，高需求学校难以招聘和留住中等STEM教师。这种挑战往往对教与学产生负面影响。该项目将与休斯顿大学的TeachHOUSTON项目合作，通过招聘至少拥有STEM学科学士学位并希望成为STEM教师的STEM专业人员，创建一条在高需求STEM领域接受培训的中等STEM教师的渠道。为期9个月的加速认证课程结合了课堂管理、探究和响应文化的教学方法，以及在高需求学区的500多个小时的实地体验。几个实体将作为该项目招聘战略的主要参与者，向以前的STEM毕业生提供帮助。合作者包括自然科学和数学学院、技术学院、卡伦工程学院和休斯顿大学校友和职业服务中心。休斯顿大学的这个项目包括与休斯顿地区七个独立学区(奥尔丁独立学区-ISD、Alief ISD、Alvin ISD、Cy-Fair ISD、休斯顿ISD、帕萨迪纳ISD和春季分校ISD)的合作伙伴关系。项目目标包括：1)招募STEM专业人员加入教师认证加速之路；2)实施为期9个月的教师认证加速之路；3)向58名完成教师认证的STEM专业人员提供11,000美元的支持；4)推出一门以探究为基础、回应文化的课堂管理课程；以及5)建立STEM学习社区(SLC)，通过改进的队列模式为教师认证加速之路提供支持的协作氛围。该项目将为STEM专业人员提供一条加速进入教学的途径，范围从最近的大学毕业生到退休的STEM行业专业人员。该项目将支持五组个人培养总共58名中等STEM教师。在完成认证计划后，诺伊斯获奖者将在高需求学区拥有超过500小时的实地经验，在他们的学校/学区担任教师领导，将基于探究和文化响应的教学法与与这些教学方法相一致的课堂管理系统结合起来。此外，这项建议将收集数据，以促进关于招聘、准备和留住STEM专业人员作为中等STEM教师到高需求学区任教的知识。这个Track 1：奖学金和津贴项目由罗伯特·诺伊斯教师奖学金计划(Noyce)提供支持。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。

This project aims to serve the national need of preparing high quality, effective secondary STEM teachers who will serve in high-need school districts. Across the country, high-need schools struggle to recruit and retain secondary STEM teachers. This challenge often has a negative effect on teaching and learning. The project will work with the teachHOUSTON program at the University of Houston to create a pipeline of secondary STEM teachers trained in high-need STEM fields by recruiting STEM professionals who possess at least a baccalaureate degree in a STEM discipline and desire to become STEM teachers. The accelerated 9-month certification pathway incorporates classroom management, inquiry, and culturally responsive pedagogy, as well as over 500 hours of field-based experiences in high-need school districts. Several entities will contribute as key players in the project's recruitment strategy to previous STEM graduates. Collaborators include the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, the College of Technology, the Cullen College of Engineering, and the University of Houston Alumni and Career Services. This project at the University of Houston includes partnerships with seven Houston area independent school districts (Aldine Independent School District-ISD, Alief ISD, Alvin ISD, Cy-Fair ISD, Houston ISD, Pasadena ISD, and Spring Branch ISD). Project goals include: 1) Recruit STEM professionals into teachHOUSTON’s accelerated pathway for teacher certification; 2) Implement a 9-month accelerated teacher certification pathway that is inquiry-based and culturally responsive; 3) Provide $11,000 in support to 58 STEM professionals as they complete teacher certification; 4) Introduce a Classroom Management Course that is inquiry-based and culturally responsive; and 5) Build a STEM Learning Community (SLC) to create a collaborative atmosphere that offers support through an enhanced cohort model for the accelerated pathway for teacher certification. The project will offer an accelerated pathway into teaching for STEM professionals, ranging from recent college graduates to retired STEM industry professionals. The project will support five cohorts of individuals to produce a total of 58 secondary STEM teachers. With over 500 hours of field-based experiences in high-need school districts, upon completion of the certification program, Noyce recipients will serve as teacher leaders in their schools/districts in incorporating pedagogy that is both inquiry-based and culturally responsive along with a classroom management system that aligns with these pedagogical approaches. Furthermore, this proposal will collect data to advance knowledge of recruiting, preparing, and retaining STEM professionals as secondary STEM teachers to teach in high-need school districts. 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.