- Year 2017
- NSF Noyce Award # 1035483
- First Name Ann
- Last Name Cavallo
- Discipline Other: Science and Mathematics
- Co-PI(s)
Greg Hale, The University of Texas at Arlington, greg@hale.uta.edu;
Ramon Lopez, The University of Texas at Arlington, relopez@uta.edu;
Laura Mydlarz, The University of Texas at Arlington, mydlarz@uta.edu;
Theresa Jorgensen, The University of Texas at Arlington, jorgensen@uta.edu; - Presenters
Ann Cavallo, The University of Texas at Arlington, cavallo@uta.edu;
Greg Hale, The University of Texas at Arlington, greg@hale.uta.edu;
Ramon Lopez, The University of Texas at Arlington, relopez@uta.edu;
Laura Mydlarz, The University of Texas at Arlington, mydlarz@uta.edu;
Theresa Jorgensen, The University of Texas at Arlington, jorgensen@uta.edu;
Kristopher Shofner, The University of Texas at Arlington, kristopher.shofner@mavs.uta.edu;
Need
National trends show increasing shortages of science and math teachers, particularly in urban schools. Moreover, the students in these urban schools are more likely to be taught by under-qualified teachers and experience high teacher attrition rates. The DFW area is the 4th largest metropolitan in the nation. Its school districts enroll largely economically disadvantaged diverse populations with significant numbers of Hispanic and African American students, and many who are English language learners. Our Noyce program provides a model for preparing highly qualified teachers who are specifically prepared to teach in our DFW schools. The majority of teachers in our Noyce program are first generation college students who themselves graduated from the same school districts where they return to teach. This Noyce program and new knowledge gained from our research is critical in helping prepare, induct, and retain the most highly qualified teachers for high need school districts.
Goals
The program objectives are to: 1) recruit science and mathematics teacher candidates from baccalaureate programs, community colleges, and career changers from local industry, 2) provide a quality teacher certification program for our candidates, and 3) induct, monitor, and mentor our teacher candidates through the program and their early years of teaching. Key activities of this program are:
– Recruit candidates from UTA and area community college science and mathematics programs and from the Dallas-Arlington-Fort Worth metropolitan area science and math related businesses and industry.
– Implement a program for our teacher candidates through our collaborative College of Science and College of Education UTeach program that prepares them to teach in diverse, high need schools.
– Provide scholars with access to academic and professional resources and mentors that help them through induction, and support their retention in teaching.
– Conduct a research and evaluation program to measure specific shifts in cognitive and affective factors throughout the program and into teaching; and to track candidates into teaching to determine retention and indications of successful impacts on student learning.
Approach
Noyce Scholars begin the program as organized cohort groups and attend an orientation early in the semester they are accepted to the program. Scholars enroll in science and math education-focused courses that include early field experiences with school-based Mentor Teachers. Mentor Teachers and our Noyce Scholar Leader guide candidates during student teaching and through their first years of teaching. The Scholar Leader visits the classrooms of all Scholars providing encouraging guidance in these early, critical years. Noyce Scholars engage in dialogue and exchange of ideas with peers throughout the program focusing on teaching in high need schools. Scholars also attend 4 per semester Scholar Learning Seminars on topics relevant to teaching in high need schools, along with informal small group meetings, online mentoring and discussion groups, bi-weekly meetings during student teaching, professional development webinars, teacher exam study groups, and professional and social activities.
Outcomes
Data gathered through the research and evaluation component of this program indicates some important findings. These findings will be further described in the final poster:
– Noyce Scholars gain confidence in their ability to teach science and math in high need schools throughout the program.
– Noyce Scholars increase their understanding and skill in teaching diverse populations of students in high need schools.
– Noyce Scholars are rated by mentors as being among the most well-prepared first year teachers in the high need schools where they teach.
– Noyce Scholars remain in high need schools and in teaching beyond the required period required by the grant.
Broader Impacts
The broader impacts of this Noyce program include new teachers who are well prepared to teach and/or are teaching in high need schools, and the thousands of students who are positively impacted by these highly qualified teachers. The outcomes of the Noyce programs have been presented at professional conferences, both nationally and internationally and published in refereed journals.
