This project is recruiting and supporting 22 individuals pursuing undergraduate degrees in science at Boston College to earn Master's Degrees in Education: Secondary Science to teach in urban schools (8-12). This model for preparing science teachers for urban schools presents a unique integration of social justice, focus on teaching English Language Learners, well-developed mentoring and induction, institutionalized tracking and evidence-gathering about graduates, close collaborations with Boston Public Schools, and strong relationships between School of Education and Arts and Sciences faculty. The project offers structured involvement of STEM faculty through one-on-one mentoring and content mentoring of the preservice students that continues into their early years of teaching. All graduates obtain the Teaching English Learners certificate qualifying them to teach nonnative English speakers in mainstream classrooms. The 22 teachers produced by this Noyce Scholarship project are impacting the learning of thousands of students in urban schools who are often underrepresented in science and can serve as inspirations for potential science educators. Science teachers armed with culturally relevant pedagogy and strategies and skills to teach nonnative English speakers and pupils with special needs in mainstream classrooms, increase the chances of diverse pupils' success and participation as critical citizens in a democratic society. Science teachers who represent underrepresented minority and gender populations serve as effective role models that further enhance the achievement and aspirations of diverse urban students. All these variables combine to improve teacher self-efficacy, pupil achievement and teacher retention, reduce district spending to hire and orient new teachers, and reinforce staff stability in schools.
