Chicago STEM Teaching Collaborative: Developing a STEM Master Teachers Program

该项目旨在满足全国对高需求学区高效K-12 STEM教师的需求。它打算通过开发STEM硕士教学奖学金(MTF)模式来实现这一点，该模式旨在培养出在技术、文化和教学方面熟练的硕士教师。芝加哥面临着教师留任的危机，特别是在高需求学区的STEM教师。芝加哥公立学校平均每五年更换50%的教师。每年，在芝加哥的520所公立学校中，几乎有三分之一的学校在填补一个或多个教师职位方面遇到了困难。高流失率加上STEM教师的普遍短缺，正在造成高需求学校的教师严重短缺。该项目旨在设计一种MTF模式，服务于不同的高需求社区，并解决教师流失的原因。该项目将确定、招募和选择MTF计划的模范教师。该项目将把目前对新的STEM教师的指导从一年延长到第三年以后，在这一点上，教师流失率急剧增加。东北伊利诺伊大学的这个能力建设项目包括与芝加哥公立学校、芝加哥城市学院和新教师中心的合作。该项目的目标是(1)建设关键利益攸关方分享专业知识和资源的能力，并建立强大的实践社区；(2)发展以文化相关、文化支持和社区沉浸式STEM教学为基础的指导和教学指导模式；以及(3)建立面对面、混合式和虚拟指导和指导的能力，以解决教师设计教学和促进远程学习的能力。该项目设计的理论基础存在于教师领导发展的研究文献中。它强调促进发展高效的STEM教学技能、社区知识、与文化相关的和具有文化可持续性的教育学的活动和经验，以及在网上巧妙地提供STEM内容的能力。该项目预计，拥有这些技能和知识的教师领导将有潜力改造高需求学校，改善高流动率和补救需求。该项目旨在进行需求分析，以找出当前CPS教师在教学方法和文化能力方面的差距以及CPS STEM学生学习成果方面的不足。MTF方案将旨在解决已查明的差距。分析还将包括对新教师的远程和混合指导。由于该项目通过STEM伙伴关系和会议在当地、区域和国家范围内传播关键成果，因此对该领域的潜在贡献很大。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 for highly effective K-12 STEM teachers in high-need school districts. It intends to do so by developing a STEM Master Teaching Fellowship (MTF) model designed to produce master teachers who are technically, culturally, and pedagogically proficient. Chicago faces a crisis in teacher retention, particularly for STEM teachers in high-need school districts. The average school in Chicago Public Schools turns over 50% of its teachers every five years. Each year almost a third of the 520 Chicago Public schools have trouble filling one or more teaching positions. The high attrition rate combined with the general scarcity of STEM teachers is creating an acute shortage of teachers in high-need schools. This project intends to design an MTF model that serves diverse, high-need communities and addresses the causes of teacher attrition. The project will identify, recruit, and select exemplary teachers to the MTF program. This project will extend the current mentoring of new STEM teachers from one year to beyond the third year, the point at which teacher attrition increases sharply. This Capacity Building project at Northeastern Illinois University includes partnerships with Chicago Public Schools, City Colleges of Chicago, and the New Teacher Center. Goals of the project are to (1) build the capacity of key stakeholders to share expertise and resources and to build a strong community of practice; (2) develop a mentorship and instructional coaching model rooted in culturally relevant, culturally sustaining, and community immersive STEM teaching; and (3) build capacity for in-person, hybrid, and virtual coaching and mentorship that addresses teachers’ ability to design instruction and facilitate learning remotely. The theoretical basis for the project’s design resides in research literature on teacher leader development. It stresses activities and experiences that promote development of highly effective STEM teaching skills, knowledge of community, culturally relevant and culturally sustaining pedagogy, and the ability to skillfully deliver STEM content virtually. The project anticipates that teacher leaders with these skills and knowledge will have the potential to transform high-need schools and ameliorate high turnover and remediation needs. The project intends to conduct a needs-analysis to identify gaps in current CPS teachers’ pedagogy and cultural competency and deficiencies in CPS STEM student learning outcomes. The MTF program will be designed to address the identified gaps. The analysis will also include remote and hybrid mentoring for new teachers. Potential contributions to the field are high as the project disseminates key findings locally, regionally, and nationally through STEM partnerships and conferences. 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 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.