- Year 2024
- NSF Noyce Award # 2342084
- First Name Paul
- Last Name Heideman
- Registration Faculty/Administrator/Other
- Discipline Chemistry, Geosciences, Life Sciences, Mathematics, Physics
- Role Co-PI
- Presenters
Paul D. Heideman, Dom Ciruzzi, Sarah Day, Eric Hilton, Joy Jackson, Meredith Kier, Marguerite Mason, Melody Porter, Cindia Romero Araujo, William & Mary
Need
Meeting the need for new STEM teachers requires effective management of Noyce grant activities including early experiences in teaching, recruiting, courses for prospective teachers and Noyce Scholars, mentoring, and induction into teaching. This poster will address those issues, including discussions of the flexibility needed during three past and one current Noyce Track I Grant.
Research Questions
What are effective strategies for managing early experiences, recruiting, mentoring, and induction into teaching? What are some strategies that were not successful, and were replaced? What are the experiences that are correlated with teachers who continue teaching in high need schools past their Noyce teaching commitment?
Approach
We have fostered a highly collaborative team with regular meetings, a focus on students and Noyce Scholars, flexibility with interventions to assist struggling students, and a willingness to try new ideas as small pilots. The approach is student-centered.
Outcomes
Our Noyce Track I programs have produced 112 new STEM teachers, with nearly all meeting their service requirement in a high need district, over 85% teaching past their service requirement, 72% teaching for five years or more, and 70% teaching not solely in a high-need district, but also in a high-need school. The projects have disseminated findings in many workshops at Noyce Summits, Noyce regional conferences, conferences on teaching, and STEM disciplinary conferences, as well as published research on retention of teachers in high need schools and on aspects of teaching and learning.
Broader Impacts
Over a period of sixteen years, the program has produced 112 new STEM teachers, collectively serving tens of thousands of students. Many of our Noyce Scholars have become leaders. The workshops and publications have disseminated findings to teachers and higher education faculty in schools of education and in mathematics and sciences. Many of our early experience offerings supported mentoring and tutoring of students in high need schools. Our research publications and conference presentations on retention in high need schools offer guidance on experiences that are related to why teachers stay at high need schools.
