This Phase I Noyce project is a collaboration between California State University, Chico and CSU Sacramento, in partnership with three area school districts - Chico Unified School District, Oroville Union High School District, and Sacramento City Unified School District, and the Northeastern California Curriculum Committee which represents all the rural schools of Northeastern California.
These two California State University campuses have long been leaders in providing highly qualified mathematics and science teachers for a service region larger than the size of Ohio that includes both rural remote regions as well as large urban areas with large populations of low income, culturally and linguistically diverse students. In conjunction with other existing programs, the Noyce Scholars program is assisting Chico and Sacramento in doubling the number of mathematics and science teachers they produce in the next five years, a statewide goal of the CSU system. Specifically, TEMS is producing 25-30 new math and science teachers at each campus.
TEMS is adding to the scholarly work at both campuses. TEMS is providing support to create and enhance programs for all math and science pre-service teachers, not just Noyce scholars. Programs and activities that are being expanded through Noyce include: Hands-On Lab science teaching experiences, Project M.A.T.H. (Mathematics And Teaching on the Horizon), new courses for STEM professionals allowing them to gain teaching credentials, expanded teacher recruitment activities, expanded early field experiences for pre-service teachers, collaborative efforts with existing programs such as the Alliance for Minority Participation, the Mathematics and Science Teaching Initiative, California Postsecondary Education Commission grant programs for retaining new math and science teachers on both campuses, and the Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment induction programs. Mentoring and advising also is being expanded to insure the success of Noyce scholars from underrepresented groups.
In addition, TEMS is bringing the scholars and faculty from two different environments together to learn from each other, thus increasing their capacity to effectively teach populations of students throughout California. Finally, the project's evaluation plan is being designed to be a prototype evaluation model for the California State University System and is adding to the body of knowledge about widening the pipeline to the teaching profession in mathematics and science.
This consortium partnership existed between two culturally different large public universities, California State University, Chico, and California State University, Sacramento, using the strengths of both in providing highly qualified mathematics and science teachers for a combined service region in Northern California larger than the size of Ohio. Chico is primarily rural in nature, including large, remote, mountainous regions with high poverty rates; Sacramento serves an expanded urban area with large populations of low income, culturally and linguistically diverse students. At the same time, these two campuses are only about a two-hour drive from each other. One of the unique features of this partnership has been to use the differences in the individual regions to help Noyce Scholars develop a stronger and more diverse understanding of how to successfully address a wide variety of educational challenges. TEMS also provided opportunities for student teacher exchange programs between the two campuses, allowing Noyce Scholars to visit and better understand the unique characteristics and needs of the students in the different regions. Both campuses have incorporated TEMS into their efforts to double the number of math and science teachers they produce. Each campus has directed their efforts in different directions to again match their needs and strengths. Chico has integrated TEMS into expanding programs for undergraduates while Sacramento has used TEMS to help a large population of career changers, along with recruiting from the undergraduate population. Each CSU campus was allocated Noyce Scholarship money to fund highly qualified student candidates in their educational efforts to become middle school, junior high or high school math and science teachers. The Noyce Scholars receive the funding as a scholarship or stipend to assist with college expenses, and with acceptance of the funding the scholars accept the stipulations attached that they will teach in high need school districts in our nation, two years of commitment per each year of scholarship funding. These high need school districts may have a percentage of teachers who do not have a degree in the subject area they teach, may have a high percentage of low income families, or they may be schools with particularly low academic state standardized test scores. California State University, Chico funded twenty-eight students in total with the TEMS Noyce Scholarship and Stipend money. Eighteen of those students have already earned their teaching credential and are teaching in high need California schools and districts. The remaining students are in progress to complete their credentials and begin teaching. California State University, Sacramento funded twenty-four students in total; nineteen have already earned their teaching credential and are teaching in high needs districts while the others are still making progress toward completion.
