- Year 2019
- NSF Noyce Award # 1758437
- First Name Jennifer
- Last Name Ellis
- Discipline Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Engineering, Geosciences, Math, Physics
- Co-PI(s)
Deana Beasley deanna-beasley@utc.edu, Kendra Duncan kendra-duncan01@utc.edu; Manuel Santiago Manuel-Santiago@utc.edu
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga - Presenters
Jennifer Ellis Jennifer-Ellis@utc.edu, Kendra Duncan kendra-duncan01@utc.edu, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
Need
The poster will highlight the majors goals of the UTeaChattanooga Noyce Scholarship Program (UNSP) and the Chattanooga STEM Education Noyce Scholarship Program on recruiting, retaining, and preparing STEM High School teachers. The poster will highlight the impact the program has in the field and what resources are provided to pre-service and in-service scholars to ensure they are successful as they matriculate through the program and transition from STEM students to STEM teachers. Strong focus will be on the STEM pedagogical skills and strategics needed to be an impactful STEM teacher in a high needs (urban and/or rural) district.
Goals
What are the most effective ways in recruiting, retaining, and preparing STEM High School teachers?
Approach
An overview of the expected outputs and outcomes and their evaluation approaches will be included on the poster as a modified logic model. The evaluation of this project is both formative and summative. The key formative evaluations include: 1) A database recording recruitment and retention activities, baseline student information, scholarship recipients, progress in the program, and career placement. 2) Student feedback will be actively sought throughout this project. 3) A longitudinal study of UNSP and CSENSP scholars and the impact of receiving scholarships and/or induction support has on retaining STEM teachers (e.g. comparing and contrasting teacher effectiveness based on State results and CSENSP evaluations). This mixed method approach provides a more in-depth perspective of the program’s impact.
Outcomes
The poster will include a logic model that highlights the outputs and impacts of the project. Since Summer 2013 until 2017, the STEM program has had 42 graduates of which 40% were Noyce Scholars, 50% were Noyce Interns, resulting in 24 graduates who are currently teaching (65% of those currently teaching are Noyce scholars and/or interns). 19 of the 32 Noyce scholars are currently teaching (all in high need school districts).
Broader Impacts
The CSENSP scholars and STEM Education pre-service teachers will all graduate with degrees in a STEM discipline and with a deeper background in their discipline than do students in the previous mathematics and science secondary education programs and will have more opportunities to engage in STEM research, which will advance discovery and understanding in STEM, K-12 curriculum, assessment, and development. They may also engage in content and pedagogically rich opportunities, including activities involving students from area high needs schools. The impact of this program with respect to teacher satisfaction and self-efficacy will be highlighted.
