This phase 1 project is increasing the supply of high-quality STEM teachers at the middle and high school level for inner-city districts. With five new Noyce undergraduate scholarships per year (each scholarship to support students during both the junior and senior years) and a total of 10 Noyce Scholarships during any one year this project will produce a total of 25 new middle or high school teachers.
Intellectual merit: This project builds on a strong academic program in science, technology, engineering and mathematics coupled with an interesting newly emerging state accredited program in teacher education. It is being advised by a committee that includes a number of key administrators from both the university and the school district involved and one faculty member each from the biology, mathematics, chemistry and physics departments. Formative and summative assessments by the Donahue Institute of the University of Massachusetts are guiding the development of the program and providing knowledge about effective means of developing STEM teachers for inner city middle and high schools. The induction program for new teachers is supported by the Worcester School District through its comprehensive Mentor/Induction Program. This program provides 1) an in-depth orientation, 2) a trained mentor, and 3) a 16 week, 40 hour beginning teacher institute for both years one and two.
In addition to the knowledge to be gained concerning effective ways of preparing science and mathematics teachers for inner city schools, the broad impacts resulting from this project include the classroom experiences of the many high school and middle school students who will be taught by the 25 teachers graduating from the "NSF Noyce Scholarship Program at WPI with Worcester Public Schools".
