- Year 2018
- NSF Noyce Award # 1136320
- First Name Michael
- Last Name Rogers
- Discipline Other: Agricultural Science, Biology, Chemistry, Earth Science, Mathematics, and Physics
- Co-PI(s)
David Brown, Peter Martin, Matthew Price, Aaron Weinberg
- Presenters
Michael ‘Bodhi’ Rogers, Ithaca College, mrogers@ithaca.edu
Need
Our Master of Arts in Teaching certification program has capacity for more teaching candidates that is not being met by our local recruiting efforts. In addition there are regional colleges and universities that either do not have STEM teacher certification pathways or graduate certification options for a STEM major deciding on a career in teaching in their junior or senior undergraduate years.
Goals
We have found that attracting undergraduate STEM majors who may not have previously considered a career in K-12 STEM teaching happens in the late sophomore or early junior years when they have had an early field experience such as serving as an undergraduate teaching assistant. Switching into an undergraduate teaching certification pathway in New York State as a junior would require an additional year of two beyond the typical four year undergraduate degree. Because NYS also requires inservice teachers to eventually hold a masters degree it is more practical for a STEM major new to teaching as a career to enter a one or two year graduate certification program.
Approach
A STEM major now focused on a career in teaching needs advising on what prerequisite courses to take for entrance into a graduate certification program. For example NYS requires certified teachers to have at least one year of college level language other than English. Forming articulation agreements with regional partners identifies those course requirements and prerequisites tailored to each institutions course offerings to ensure prerequisites for entry into our graduate certification program are met. These agreements create advising guidelines for each partner institution. If a STEM major meets the requirements outlined in the articulation agreement they are automatically admitted to our graduate certification program.
Outcomes
We have formal agreements between Ithaca College and Cornell University, Rochester Institute of Technology, and SUNY Cobleskill. We are working on additional agreements with other regional partners who don’t have any certification pathways or don’t have a graduate certification pathway. We are also working with our regional partners on developing more effective ways of advertising this teaching option. While we have had some students who may not have previously considered a career in K-12 STEM teaching enter our program through these agreements there is room for growth.
Broader Impacts
The use of articulation agreements broadens the opportunity for STEM undergraduate majors to pursue teaching as a career. While applying for entry into our graduate certification program was always an option, the articulation agreement tailors the pathway for each partner school to ensure that students are on track for achieving their new career goal.
