The Utah Collaborative to Build Capacity for a Streamlined Science Teacher Preparation Program

在罗伯特·诺伊斯教师奖学金计划的支持下，这一能力建设项目将为增加犹他州合格的科学教师数量奠定基础。因此，它将促进对高素质STEM教师的需求，以满足国家对训练有素的STEM劳动力日益增长的需求。实现这一目标的一个核心挑战是招聘留任教师，成为STEM教育各个方面的领导者和导师，包括与多样化的人口合作。加强教师招聘的一种办法是简化STEM本科生在攻读STEM学位时获得教师资格证书的程序。同样，确保有抱负的教师得到充分的培训和支持是提高教师留任率的主要手段。认识到这些机会，该项目的目标是在犹他大学开发一个高质量、加速的5年制MBA/MED课程，将STEM内容知识和STEM教学方法的学习以及职前培训结合在一起。这一战略有可能培养未来的STEM教师，他们能够满足不同学习者的需求，并为STEM学习的国家优先事项做出贡献。通过这一努力，犹他大学将与盐湖社区学院密切合作，盐湖社区学院是该大学近1000名STEM本科生的来源。这两个关键合作伙伴将与盐湖城学区、大师教师、社区领袖和高需求环境中的专家一起，组成“犹他州合作组织”。犹他州合作项目的目标是：1)进行详细的需求评估，确定所需教师的数量，以及使教师能够在高需求环境中成长的软技能和性格等属性；2)创建一个紧凑的五年制学位课程，获得STEM理科学士学位和教育硕士学位，并获得证书；3)开发一条从盐湖社区学院到犹他大学完成BS/Med课程的直接途径；4)开发独特的学生教学机会和实习机会，使参与者能够广泛接触到高需求学校的教学；5)建立学校和社区导师网络，帮助支持新教师和继续教师；6)制定战略性传播和咨询计划，以便能够招募和支持不同背景的STEM学生。最终，该项目旨在为未来的Noyce Track 1提案提供基础设施，该提案有可能改变犹他州的科学教育。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 STEM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教师的持久性、保留率和有效性的研究。该奖项反映了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。

With support from the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program, this Capacity Building project will lay a foundation for increasing the number of qualified science teachers in Utah. Thus, it will contribute to the need for high-quality STEM teachers to meet the nation's ever-growing need for a highly trained STEM workforce. A central challenge to this goal is recruiting teachers who remain in the profession to become leaders and mentors in all aspects of STEM education, including working with a diversifying population. One approach to enhancing teacher recruitment would be to simplify the process for STEM undergraduates to obtain their teaching certification while pursuing STEM degrees. Likewise, ensuring that aspiring teachers receive adequate training and support is a primary means to improve teacher retention. Recognizing these opportunities, this project aims to develop a high-quality, accelerated 5-year BS/MEd program at the University of Utah that integrates learning of STEM content knowledge and STEM teaching methods, as well as pre-service training. This strategy has the potential to prepare future STEM teachers who can meet the needs of diverse learners and contribute to the national priorities for STEM learning. Through this effort, the University of Utah will work closely with Salt Lake Community College, the source of almost 1,000 of the University's STEM undergraduates. These two key partners, together with Salt Lake City School District, master teachers, community leaders, and experts in high-need environments, will form the "Utah Collaborative." The goals of the Utah Collaborative are to: 1) conduct a detailed needs assessment that determines the number of teachers needed and also the attributes such as soft-skills and dispositions that enable teachers to thrive in high-need environments; 2) create a compact five-year degree program that results in a STEM bachelor of science degree and a Master of Education, with licensure; 3) develop a direct pathway from Salt Lake Community College to completion of the BS/MEd program at the University of Utah; 4) develop unique student teaching opportunities and internships that will allow participants to gain extensive exposure to teaching in high-need schools; 5) develop a network of school and community-based mentors to help support new and continuing teachers; and 6) develop a strategic dissemination and advising plan that will enable the recruitment and support of STEM students from different backgrounds. Ultimately, the project aims to provide the infrastructure for a future Noyce Track 1 proposal that has the potential to transform science education in Utah. The Noyce program supports talented STEM undergraduate majors and professionals to become effective K-12 STEM teachers and experienced, exemplary K-12 STEM teachers to become STEM master teachers in high-need school districts. It also supports research on the persistence, retention, and effectiveness 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.