- Year 2019
- NSF Noyce Award # 1852783
- First Name Masood
- Last Name Poorandi
- Institution Bethune-Cookman University
- Role/Position Principal Investigator
- Workshop Category Track 1: Scholarships and Stipends
- Workshop Disciplines Audience Math
- Target Audience Higher Education Institution Administrators, Project PIs / Co-PIs / Other Faculty/Staff, School and District Administrators
- Topics Preparing Teachers for High-Need School Districts
- Session Length 30 minutes
- Additional Presenter(s)
Hector N. Torres, torresh@cookman.edu, Bethune-Cookman University, Co-PI, Associate Professor
Goals
1) Discuss ideas/strategies to encourage talented science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) undergraduate students, to pursue mathematical sciences teaching careers.
2) Strategies for developing highly effective mathematical sciences teachers.
3) Strategies to support scholars in the attainment of dual degrees in a STEM discipline and Mathematics Education.
Evidence
In Florida, the current assessment standards of achievement demonstrated by K-12 students emphasizes computer based assessment of analytical thinking, higher order thinking skills, creation of graphs and interaction with test information. Teacher effectiveness in developing the learning capacity of students are also determined from assessment results. Several national reports have recommended strategies to remove or reduce the mathematical bottleneck to careers in STEM, one strategy is producing K-12 mathematics teachers from undergraduate and graduate programs in mathematics intensive fields other than mathematics. These achievement standards have led researchers at Bethune-Cookman University to prioritize the key characteristics of effective teachers in Florida to be: (1) develop analytical thinking of students; (2) instruct students on strategies for interacting with information displayed on computer screens; (3) provide students with opportunities for learning transactions in computer based learning systems; and (4) equip students with learning experiences that lead to success in college, career and in life.
Proposal
The Noyce Teacher Scholarship at Bethune-Cookman University aims to serve the national need of increasing the number of high-quality mathematics teachers. The overall goal of the 5-year project is to encourage STEM undergraduate students, to pursue mathematical sciences teaching careers in elementary and secondary schools especially in high-needs educational agencies. The overall strategy for developing highly effective mathematical sciences teachers is to support scholars in the attainment of dual degrees in a STEM discipline and Mathematics Education. The project will award a two-year scholarship to 20-25 STEM students who demonstrate commitment to become teachers of mathematics. To stimulate early interest of first- and second-year STEM students in K-12 teaching careers, 40 internships will be awarded to B-CU STEM students during the program. Partnering with Volusia and Flagler County School Districts and the Boys & Girls Club of Volusia County, the project will direct a 14- week internship curriculum as a preparatory academy for the Noyce Teacher Scholarships Component of the program. The academy has two main goals that consist of instructional experience in informal learning settings and developing knowledge of competencies/skills required for highly qualified teachers. In addition, the project will provide mentoring support to ensure scholars follow teacher certification pathway that best aligns with their background and educator preparation routes. The project will improve the quality, quantity, and diversity of mathematics teachers of Volusia County and Flagler County School Districts, and build new sustainable models for the recruitment, preparation, and retention of mathematics teachers to address the teacher shortage.
