TSETS: E Kukulu Ke Kahua a Paa: Build the Foundation Until Firm

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The Tribal Colleges and Universities Program (TCUP) goals are to 1) increase the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) instructional and research capacities of specific institutions of higher education that serve the Nation's Indigenous students, and 2) promote the advancement of intellectual leadership within TCUP institutions to support them in addressing the STEM priorities of their tribes, communities, or broadly of the United States. Supporting both goals is the program’s funding strand known as TCUP for Secondary and Elementary Teachers in STEM (TSETS) which provides funding for TCUP institutions to work with local precollege educators in strengthening their STEM instructional and research capacity to thereby enhance students’ preparation for advanced STEM education and entry into the STEM workforce. The TSETS: E Kukulu Ke Kahua a Paa: Build the Foundation Until Firm project aligns with TCUP goals through its work to build the mathematical content and instructional knowledge of local K-12 teachers who work in schools serving Native Hawaiian (NH) students on the island of Kauai. Engaging two cohorts of teachers for three years each, the project will employ an array of activities partnering University of Hawaii - Kauai Community College STEM (UH-KCC) faculty, NH knowledge keepers and local precollege educators in a learning community that also emphasizes the development of cultural competence to further enhance teachers’ effectiveness in working with NH students.This TSETS project will provide three years of ongoing professional development for two teacher cohorts, designed to improve precollege educators’ skills and knowledge relevant to mathematics instruction. The project will use evidence-based practices that include enrollment in mathematics course work, regular and as-needed coaching by teacher mentors, the development of culturally responsive STEM curriculum, and deep examination of in-situ instructional practice through engagement in Lesson Study. The project participants will be immersed in these activities as part of a learning community known as a Math Hui, collaborating closely with UH-KCC STEM faculty members and cultural knowledge bearers from the local NH community. Lessons learned from this iterative action research project will be shared in professional forums to further advance the knowledge base on effective STEM education, particularly relevant to supporting Native Hawaiian students’ STEM outcomes.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.