Robert Mayes
$1,199,532
Norma Saikali
Texas A&M International University
Texas
Education and Human Resources (EHR)
This project aims to serve the national need to increase the number of outstanding STEM Majors prepared to enter the teaching profession as high-quality mathematics teachers. School districts in South Texas face significant challenges with attracting and retaining high-quality mathematics teachers. The increase in resignations during the COVID-19 pandemic have added to these challenges. Moreover, teacher resignations disproportionately impact high-need, high turnover schools across the country. Thus, there is an immediate need to generate new knowledge for preparing STEM majors as outstanding certified secondary mathematics teachers to increase access to high-quality mathematics teachers and decrease the learning loss resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. This project builds on a theory of change that assumes fostering belonging and elevating college and career readiness levels among talented STEM undergraduate majors will positively impact local efforts to increase access to high-quality mathematics teachers. To further these aims this project will provide a formalized induction program and career readiness course to ensure equitable situations for all Noyce Scholars. This project at Texas A&M International University (89.3% Hispanic) includes partnerships with Laredo Independent School District (LISD, 99.7% Hispanic), United Independent School District (UISD, 99.4% Hispanic), and Laredo College (LC, 97.0% Hispanic). The project plan draws on existing literature on belonging, teacher turnover, teacher residencies, High Impact Practices and Mixed Reality Simulations technologies. Four goals guide the execution of this project. First is to increase the effectiveness of the Future Educator Community for fostering belonging among 50 high-achieving STEM Majors and graduating 37 high-quality mathematics teacher candidates over 5 years. Second is to increase the effectiveness of the math educator preparation curriculum to elevate levels of college readiness among high-achieving STEM Majors and 37 high-quality mathematics teacher candidates. Third is to increase the effectiveness of the enrichment curriculum to elevate levels of career readiness among high-achieving STEM Majors and high-quality mathematics teacher candidates. Fourth, and finally, is to collect, analyze, and disseminate data to assess needs, inform revisions, gauge effectiveness of supports, and reallocate resources to increase their effectiveness. External evaluators will conduct stakeholder interviews and analyze mathematics teacher candidate data to generate findings regarding progress towards these goals. Investigators will use this data to generate new knowledge about preparing STEM Majors as outstanding certified Secondary Mathematics Teachers. They will use this knowledge to reduce local STEM education disparities by: (1) building capacity among partners and partnerships engaging in educator preparation learning communities, (2) increasing participation rates among talented STEM students attending local high turnover campuses, (3) elevating outcomes for 4500 Hispanic learners in local mathematics classrooms; (4) advancing STEM education and educator development at the secondary, post-secondary and early career levels; (5) enhancing evaluation infrastructure and data for informing effective math educator preparation for high-need Hispanic-serving school districts. 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.