Through this planning grant, steps are being taken to develop the framework for a Master Teaching Fellows program that focuses on turning theory into practice in science instruction. This program builds on an existing Noyce scholarship program in the Columbia region; it is anticipated that the Master Teaching Fellows program will include many of the same partners from the scholarship program, including the Columbia Public Schools. The planning activities are beginning with an assessment survey to develop goals and activities for the program that are responsive to local needs. As part of this planning project, a non-profit organization that has the willingness, capacity, and expertise to support the goals of the program is being identified and recruited. The educational program for the Master Science Teaching Fellows is being developed including making plans for recruitment strategies, establishing admission requirements, defining the roles and responsibilities of all participants, designing a management structure, planning for sustainability, and developing an evaluation plan. Other planning activities in this project include identification of sources of university cost share, securing school district support for implementing salary supplements for the Fellows, and evaluating the progress of the planning activities themselves.
