Building Capacity to Address STEM Educator Shortages in Rural South Dakota

该项目旨在满足国家对农村低收入地区培养高素质STEM教师的需求。更具体地说，该项目团队将通过探索激励学生从事STEM教学的因素，帮助解决南达科他州农村地区STEM教师短缺的问题。同时，该项目还旨在加强与该区域内高需求的农村和部落学校的伙伴关系。该项目将调查和采访农村学校和地区的教师和管理人员，以及最近的校友、K-12和大学生，以及诺伊斯资助的其他STEM教育者准备项目的人员。结果将揭示潜在合作学校在招聘、留住和支持STEM教育者方面的需求，特别是与他们所服务的学生具有相似背景的早期职业教师。调查结果还将为中学STEM教师培养计划的结构提供指导，并将为创建面向农村和低收入背景学生的招聘和支持计划提供指导。这个在黑山州立大学的项目包括与数学和科学教育促进中心(CAMSE)、美国印第安人研究中心(CAIS)和多达10个地区学区的合作伙伴关系。项目活动包括进行两项需求评估。一个将以高需求为中心-学校和地区，重点放在北大方圆150英里范围内的农村和部落学校。目标是建立正式的伙伴关系，以满足已确定的需求。另一项需求评估将以高中生、大学生和教师教育毕业生为中心，并将重点放在农村和部落社区的需求上。这些评估的结果旨在支持为未来的第一轨道诺伊斯教师奖学金计划提案制定招聘计划。该项目还旨在审查北京理工大学STEM专业的结构，并评估重组学术项目的可行性，以与其他教师培训项目保持一致，特别是农村地区的教师培训项目。结果可能会为其他小型、农村、主要是本科院校的STEM教师培训计划的招聘、保留和早期职业支持战略提供参考。该能力建设项目由罗伯特·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 for preparing high quality STEM teachers in rural low-income areas. More specifically, the project team will help address the STEM teacher shortage in rural South Dakota by exploring factors that inspire students to pursue STEM teaching. At the same time the project also aims to strengthen partnerships with high-need rural and tribal schools within the region. The project will survey and interview teachers and administrators at rural schools and districts, as well as recent alumni, K-12 and university students, and personnel from other Noyce-funded STEM educator preparation programs. Results will bring light upon the needs of potential partner schools in recruiting, retaining and supporting STEM educators, particularly early career teachers with backgrounds similar to the students they serve. Findings will also inform the structure of secondary STEM teacher preparation programs and will provide direction in creating a recruitment and support plan geared toward students from rural and low-income backgrounds.This project at Black Hills State University includes partnerships with the Center for the Advancement of Mathematics and Science Education (CAMSE), the Center for American Indian Studies (CAIS), and up to 10 regional school districts. Project activities include conducting two needs assessments. One will center on high needs-schools and districts with a focus on rural and tribal schools within a 150-mile radius of BHSU. The goal is to establish formal partnerships that address the identified needs. The other needs assessment will center on high school students, university students, and teacher education graduates, and will focus on the needs of rural and tribal communities. The outcomes of these assessments are intended to support the development of a recruitment plan for a future Track 1 Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program proposal. The project also aims to review the structure of STEM majors at BHSU and evaluate the feasibility of restructuring the academic programs to align with other teacher preparation programs, particularly those in rural areas. Results may inform recruitment, retention, and early career support strategies of STEM teacher preparation programs at other small, rural, primarily undergraduate institutions. This Capacity Building 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.