Building Capacity for Master Teacher Specialization in STEM Leadership

该项目旨在满足国家能力建设的需要，以支持和留住有效的STEM教师。它寻求通过培养STEM领导力方面的硕士教师专业来构建课程和经验，为新兴的STEM领导者做好准备。这些领导者将在高需求的K-12学校推广创新的STEM课程，这反过来可以激励来自不同背景的K-12学生选择STEM职业，特别是STEM教师职业。此外，STEM领导人将建立社区伙伴关系，以促进STEM扫盲和与日常生活的相关性。这是华盛顿州的第一个此类专业，将建立在公共教育主管办公室和华盛顿州STEM组织的STEM网络现有社区伙伴关系的基础上，以改善当地和全州的STEM教育。华盛顿大学中部的这个项目包括与：瓦鲁克学区，教育学区105，与华盛顿中南部STEM网络合作；以及教育学区171，与苹果STEM网络合作。项目目标包括：(1)对各种高需求的地方教育机构和其他STEM教育利益相关方进行调查，以确定与培养STEM领导力硕士教师专业有关的需求；以及(2)设计一个新颖的、了解研究情况并与国家董事会保持一致的计划，以响应华盛顿州的需求，为在职教师提供STEM领导力硕士教师专业学位。这项工作以文献为基础，概述了有效的教师领导者的特点，他们可以在当地实践社区内充当变革的推动者，改变STEM教与学的条件。首先，该团队将开发、实施和分析来自社区STEM利益相关者的调查和焦点小组输入，以确定STEM领导者所需的属性。此投入将为硕士教师专业化的计划课程和基础设施提供信息。该项目致力于在中央华盛顿大学Teach STEM和Noyce奖学金计划的成功基础上，招募和培养STEM教师领袖。通过完成STEM领导力课程，STEM领导者将改进自己的教学实践，发展在最佳教学实践中指导其他教师所需的知识和技能，并为成功完成国家委员会认证做好准备。一名外部评估员将就围绕两个方案目标的设计过程提供形成性和总结性反馈。这项评估旨在实现持续改进，并确保STEM领导力硕士教师专业化的发展和能力建设取得成功。调查结果、课程相关产品和设计过程中的关键发现将通过区域STEM网络、在专业会议上的陈述和同行评议的期刊出版物在区域和国家范围内共享。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 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。

This project aims to serve the national need of building capacity to support and retain effective STEM teachers. It seeks to build curriculum and experiences that prepare emerging STEM leaders by developing a Master Teacher specialization in STEM Leadership. These leaders will promote innovative STEM curriculum in high-need K-12 schools, which in turn can motivate K-12 students from diverse backgrounds to choose STEM careers, and especially STEM teaching careers. Moreover, the STEM leaders will establish community partnerships to promote STEM literacy and relevance to everyday life. This specialization, the first of its kind in Washington state, will build upon existing community partnerships with STEM Networks organized by the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction and Washington STEM to improve STEM education both locally and statewide. This project at Central Washington University includes partnerships with: the Wahluke School District, Educational School District 105, partnered with South Central Washington STEM Network; and Educational School District 171, partnered with the Apple STEM Network. Project goals include to: (1) survey a diverse range of high-need local educational agencies and other STEM education stakeholders to determine needs related to developing a Master Teacher specialization in STEM Leadership; and (2) design a novel, research-informed and National Boards aligned program to provide in-service teachers with a Master Teacher specialization in STEM Leadership responsive to Washington state needs. This work is grounded in literature outlining characteristics of effective teacher leaders who can act as agents for change within their local communities of practice, transforming the conditions for STEM teaching and learning. First, the team will develop, implement, and analyze survey and focus group input from community STEM stakeholders to determine desired attributes of a STEM leader. This input will inform program curriculum and infrastructure for the Master Teacher specialization. The project endeavors to build upon the successes of Central Washington University’s Teach STEM and Noyce Scholarship programs to recruit and prepare STEM teacher leaders. By completing the STEM Leadership program, STEM leaders will improve their own teaching practice, develop knowledge and skills needed to mentor other teachers in best teaching practices, and be prepared to successfully complete National Board Certification if so desired. An external evaluator will provide formative and summative feedback with respect to design processes surrounding the two programmatic goals. This evaluation serves to engender continual improvement and to ensure the success of the development of, and capacity building for, the Master Teacher Specialization in STEM Leadership. Survey results, curriculum-related products, and key findings from the design process will be shared regionally and nationally through regional STEM Networks, presentations at professional meetings, and peer-reviewed journal publications. 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 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.