The project is providing forty new STEM teachers for high needs districts in a rural and diverse region that experiences geographic challenges to recruiting and retaining highly qualified teachers. The needs are compelling: 65% of North Dakota schools are classified as Title I, requiring special resources to meet the needs of low-income and at-risk children; nine districts in North Dakota started the 2007-08 academic year without either a science teacher or mathematics teacher; for many of the state's rural districts, one teacher represents an entire science or mathematics "department." In addition to scholarships for upperclassmen, the recruitment efforts to attract STEM majors to a teaching career include paid summer internships to first and second year students to encourage secondary teaching as a career. These interns are placed into laboratory or classroom environments alongside exemplary high school juniors and seniors who are participating in the North Dakota Governor's School program.
Associated project research is focusing on the effectiveness in attracting, preparing, and retaining STEM individuals in teaching careers. These include analyses of the demographic backgrounds of the STEM Scholars, the successes/challenges of using the Noyce Internship program as a key recruitment tool for the Scholars program, the conditions impeding or enhancing the Scholars completion of a second major in education while pursuing a major in a STEM discipline, and the program's success/challenges in the mentored retention of scholars through their period of commitment to the high needs districts. The successful elements of the program have the potential to drive development and implementation of future STEM teacher recruitment and retention for high needs, rural, and tribal districts.
