Recruiting and Preparing a New Generation of Mathematics, Science, and Computer Science Teachers for High Need Schools

国家正面临着对STEM教师的迫切需求。 这种短缺在高度贫困的城市地区最为严重，其中许多地区被迫雇用不太有资格教授STEM课程的教师。 为了应对达拉斯-沃斯堡（城市）学区STEM教师短缺的问题，德克萨斯大学阿灵顿分校（UTA）的这一轨道1诺伊斯项目旨在通过招聘，准备，引导和保留中学科学，数学和计算机科学教师来满足对高质量教师的需求。 具体的项目目标是：1）从社区学院和学士学位课程的学生中招募数学，科学和计算机科学教师候选人，以及当地行业的职业转换者; 2）为具有重要教师指导，支持和专业发展经验的候选人提供优质教师认证计划，并将其融入整个计划;以及3）支持和促进教师入职和留任，实施专业教育工作者、校本导师和近同伴导师的不同层次的指导。这个诺伊斯项目建立在以前成功的UTA诺伊斯项目与达拉斯，阿灵顿和英尺的合作伙伴关系。值得独立学区。 塔兰特县学院是一个社区学院的合作伙伴，可以协助扩大新的中学科学，数学和计算机科学教师的管道。 这项工作的一个新方面是招聘计算机科学专业的教师。 这个诺伊斯项目旨在为50个STEM专业提供奖学金，以准备和认证他们在科学，数学和计算机科学的短缺领域的高素质教师。 该项目打算为40名STEM一年级和二年级学生提供暑期实习机会，作为招聘教师候选人的战略。 该项目的目标是将至少33%的奖学金提供给社区学院的转学生。 符合条件的一年级和二年级转学生将优先获得暑期实习机会。 本科和学士后的学生将获得奖学金和途径，通过UTA的国家认可的UTeach阿灵顿计划获得教师认证。 诺伊斯学者的其他项目功能和支持包括UTA教师导师;在早期的实地经验，学生教学和入职过程中的校本导师教师;近同行指导计划;和学者学习研讨会和会议参与作为持续的专业发展。 UTA计划的诺伊斯学者领导人（一位经验丰富的退休教师）将通过访问和支持新诺伊斯教师进入该行业的诱导提供持续的指导。 这个诺伊斯项目包括一个正在进行的研究组成部分，旨在衡量诺伊斯学者的学习和过渡到教学，包括自我效能对教学，主要教学实践，以及数学和科学学科的性质的看法的转变。 该项目还打算收集有关招聘，准备，入职和保留新STEM教师的最佳做法的信息。 这项研究的结果将在专业会议上发表，并发表在学术期刊上。 这个诺伊斯项目的主要好处将是产生新的科学，数学和计算机科学教师，他们将在最需要他们的学校服务。 其他高等教育机构也可以从该项目的研究工作和项目评估中受益，这可能为高需求学校的教师准备提供最佳实践的宝贵信息。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并被认为值得通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估来支持。

The nation is facing a critical need for STEM teachers. The shortages are most severe in high-poverty urban districts and many of these districts are forced to employ teachers who are less qualified to teach STEM classes. In response to the STEM teacher shortage in Dallas-Fort Worth (urban) school districts, this Track 1 Noyce project at the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) seeks to address this need for high quality teachers by recruiting, preparing, inducting, and retaining teachers for secondary science, mathematics, and computer science to teach in high need schools. Specific project objectives are to: 1) recruit mathematics, science, and computer science teacher candidates from students at community colleges and baccalaureate programs, and career changers from local industry; 2) provide a quality teacher certification program for candidates with significant faculty mentoring, support, and professional development experiences integrated throughout the program; and 3) support and promote teacher induction and retention in the teaching profession, implementing various levels of guidance from professional educators, school-based Mentor Teachers, and Near-Peer Mentors. This Noyce project builds upon previous successful UTA Noyce projects in partnership with the Dallas, Arlington, and Ft. Worth Independent School Districts. The Tarrant County College is a community college partner that can assist in expanding the pipeline of new secondary science, mathematics, and computer science teachers. One new aspect of this effort is the recruitment of computer science majors to the teaching profession. This Noyce project seeks to provide scholarships to 50 STEM majors to prepare and certify them as highly qualified teachers in the shortage areas of science, mathematics, and computer science. The project intends to provide summer internships to 40 STEM first year and sophomore students as a strategy for recruiting teacher candidates. The project aims to give at least 33% of the scholarships to community college transfer students. Eligible first- and second-year transfer students will have priority for summer internships. Undergraduate and post-baccalaureate students will be given scholarships and pathways to earn teacher certification through UTA's nationally accredited UTeach Arlington program. Additional project features and supports for Noyce Scholars include UTA faculty mentors; school-based Mentor Teachers throughout early field experiences, student teaching, and induction into the profession; a Near-Peer mentoring program; and Scholar Learning Seminars and conference participation as continuous professional development. The UTA program's Noyce Scholar Leader (an experienced retired teacher) will provide sustained guidance through visits and support induction of new Noyce teachers into the profession. This Noyce project includes an ongoing research component that aims to measure Noyce Scholars' learning and transition into teaching, including shifts in self-efficacy toward teaching, primary teaching practices, and views of the nature of mathematics and science disciplines. The project also intends collect information on best practices in the recruitment, preparation, induction, and retention of new STEM teachers. Results of this research will be presented at professional conferences and published in scholarly journals. The primary benefit of this Noyce project will be the new science, mathematics, and computer science teachers produced who will serve in schools where they are most needed. Other institutions of higher educations may also benefit from the results from the project's research effort and project evaluation, which may provide valuable information on best practices for preparing teachers for high need schools.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.