Meeting the Need for STEM Teachers in Western Pennsylvania

该项目旨在满足全国在教师教育项目中招收有学术成就的STEM学生的需求，以帮助减少STEM教师的短缺，特别是在农村地区。这一目标将通过提供奖学金来培养生物、化学、地球与空间科学、数学和物理专业的学生到高需求的中学任教来实现。教师培训将包括如何在农村和城市学校教授许多不同类型学生的技能。该项目还将支持和指导新的STEM实践教师。该项目培养的教师将为K-12学生提供坚实的STEM基础，并提高对科学的理解。通过这种方法，该项目有望为农村社区更好的就业机会和经济增长奠定基础。宾夕法尼亚印第安纳大学（IUP）的这个项目包括与12个地方教育机构（LEAs）的合作：（阿尔图纳地区学区、阿姆斯特朗学区、利奇堡地区学区、宾夕法尼亚庄园地区学区、Punxsutawney地区学区、阿波罗岭学区、北坎布里亚学区、大约翰斯敦学区、荷马中心学区、联合学区、印第安纳学区和匹兹堡公立学校）和两所社区学院（宾夕法尼亚高地社区学院和巴特勒县社区学院）。项目目标包括：(1)招收20名攻读生物、化学、数学、物理或地球与空间科学二级教学认证的STEM专业本科生；(2)留用学者留校率90%，毕业率100%；(3)通过为STEM教师和IUP教师提供指导和持续的专业发展，支持20名新的在职教师。项目影响将通过独立的形成性和总结性评价进行评估。研究结果将说明学者参与特定活动如何增加在高需要学习环境中教学的动机，并有助于学生在高需要学习环境中教学的相关知识和技能基础的增长。该项目还将为在城市和农村学区开展有效的新教师培训项目提供新的见解。这一模式将被广泛传播到其他寻求发展和扩大STEM教师培训项目的公立教师教育学院。本项目由Robert Noyce教师奖学金项目（Noyce）资助。Noyce计划支持有才华的STEM本科专业和专业人士成为有效的K-12 STEM教师，并支持经验丰富的模范K-12教师成为高需求学区的STEM大师教师。它还支持对高需求学区K-12 STEM教师的有效性和留任率的研究。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值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 enrolling academically accomplished STEM students in teacher education programs to help reduce STEM teaching shortages, especially in rural areas. This aim will be met by providing scholarships to train students majoring in Biology, Chemistry, Earth & Space Science, Mathematics, and Physics to teach in high-need secondary schools. Teacher training will include skills on how to teach many different types of students in both rural and urban schools. The project will also support and mentor new practicing STEM teachers. The teachers produced by the project will provide K-12 students with strong STEM foundations and increased science understanding. Through this approach the project offers the promise of laying a foundation for better job opportunities and economic growth in rural communities. This project at Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) includes partnerships with 12 Local Education Agencies (LEAs): (Altoona Area School District, Armstrong School District, Leechburg Area School District, Penns Manor Area School District, Punxsutawney Area School District, Apollo-Ridge School District, Northern Cambria School District, Greater Johnstown School District, Homer-Center School District, United School District, Indiana School District, and Pittsburgh Public Schools) and two community colleges (Penn Highlands Community College and Butler County Community College). Project goals include: (1) recruiting 20 undergraduate STEM majors who pursue secondary teaching certification in biology, chemistry, mathematics, physics, or earth & space science; (2) retaining 90% and graduating 100% of retained scholars; and (3) supporting 20 new, in-service teachers by providing both STEM teacher and IUP faculty mentorship and ongoing professional development. Project impact will be assessed through an independent formative and summative evaluation. Findings will inform how scholar participation in a particular activity increases motivation to teach in a high-need LEA and contributes to a student’s growing knowledge and skill base related to teaching in a high-need LEA. The project will also generate new insights into effective new teacher induction programs in both urban and rural school districts. This model will be broadly disseminated to other public teacher education colleges seeking to develop and expand STEM teacher preparation programs. This Track 1: Scholarships and Stipends 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.