- Year 2018
- NSF Noyce Award # 1660620
- First Name Julie
- Last Name Dahlstrom
- Discipline Other: Multidisciplinary
- Co-PI(s)
Christine Blaine, Carthage College, cblaine@carthage.edu
Aaron Trautwein, Carthage College, atrautwein@carthage.edu
Karin Sconzert, Carthage College, ksconzert@carthage.edu
Andrea Henle, Carthage College, ahenle@carthage.edu - Presenters
Julie Dahlstrom, Carthage College, jdahlstrom1@carthage.edu
Christine Blaine, Carthage College, cblaine@carthage.edu
Karin Sconzert, Carthage College, ksconzert@carthage.edu
Need
According to the US Department of Education’s report on teacher shortage areas, the state of Wisconsin is experiencing an acute shortage of secondary level teachers in mathematics and all sciences. In southeastern Wisconsin, the Kenosha and Racine Unified School Districts are characterized by a high fraction of economically disadvantaged students (52% and 63% respectively, according to 2017-2018 school district report cards). Furthermore, the state of Wisconsin has identified these combined school districts as having a large percentage of inexperienced or underqualified teachers in mathematics and science.
Goals
The CNS is intended to:
(1) Triple the number of science majors who successfully complete secondary level teacher certification in the five years of the project compared to the five years prior.
(2) Improve the quality of science teacher preparation by incorporating earlier clinical experience in science classrooms and in high need schools.
(3) Increase partnerships with local schools and develop mutually beneficial collaborations.
Approach
To attract top STEM majors into considering careers in teaching, the CNS hosts a fall colloquium series wherein secondary school science educators from local high need schools share their passion for teaching. Additional recruiting occurs in two courses. A January Term Science Teaching Immersion for first and second year college students and the Carthage Noyce Seminar provide STEM majors clinical science teaching experiences in high need schools, beyond teacher certification requirements. Noyce scholars are required to perform undergraduate research in their STEM disciplines to equip them for modeling inquiry in their future classrooms. Finally, to promote a supportive cohort of Noyce Scholars and to provide pre-service preparation, CNS has established a STEM Teaching Community of Practice that brings scholars, master teachers, and CNS team members together 4 times annually to address teaching challenges and to develop integrated STEM curricula.
Outcomes
CNS has 10 scholars spanning 2 application cycles in biology, chemistry, physics and mathematics, 8 of whom are completing the traditional licensure program and 2 who are completing an accelerated certification program. Carthage College has approved 2 courses, offered annually, that recruit and support STEM majors interested in teaching: Science Teaching Immersion and Field Experience in Teaching Math and Science. An active fall colloquium series invites local middle and high school teachers to share their experiences teaching STEM in high need schools. 8 of our 10 scholars have or are participating in undergraduate research experiences. 2 teachers from partnering schools are performing research with Carthage faculty. A vibrant community of practice supports scholars and discusses common teaching challenges. An advisory board facilitates communication with our partner schools and provides information on local school district needs.
Broader Impacts
CNS places 4-5 Carthage STEM majors in low-income Kenosha classrooms each term and contributes to supplemental science and math instruction in those schools. Through contact with Carthage students, grade 6-12 students are exposed to the idea of college attendance and STEM careers, benefitting the local Kenosha community. Finally, the interdisciplinary science and math lessons produced by curriculum design retreats in the community of practice will be made widely available as an outcome of the program to enhance curricula in other high need STEM classrooms.
