Phase I Noyce Scholarships are being used to attract academically successful community college transfers, senior mathematics and science majors and STEM professionals to become highly effective teachers in urban school districts. The Noyce Scholarships recruit and support four different types of students including: 1) students in their third and fourth year of the CSUEB Bachelors Plus Early Pathway integrated credential and math or science degree; 2) students transferring from community colleges, especially those who have served as successful Teaching Assistants in local high schools through the CSUEB MSTI (Math and Science Teacher Initiative); 3) current math and science majors; and, 4) past-baccalaureate STEM professionals who are ready for the credential program, particularly paraprofessionals in the Alameda County Office of Education program. Particular effort is being given to recruit diverse students utilizing current community partnerships such as the Oakland African American Chamber of Commerce and the annual Latino Education Summit. The program is supporting cohorts of seven undergraduates and five STEM professionals per year with three cohorts of undergraduates and four cohorts of STEM professionals for a total of 41 students at the end of the program. The undergraduates are supported for two years and the STEM professionals for only their credential year. The College of Science and the College of Education and Allied Studies at California State University East Bay jointly offer these programs to enhance science and math education in K-12 schools in Alameda and Contra Costa Counties and to increase the number of science and math students who obtain a teaching credential.
Award 0833348 California State University, East Bay Noyce Scholars Project Final Project Outcome Report The Noyce Scholars Program at California State University, East Bay has Kathy Hann, Professor of Mathematics, as the Principal Investigator, and David R Stronck, Professor of Science Education, as the Co-Principal Investigator. The funding period was from September15, 2008 through August 31, 2014. The CSUEB Noyce Scholarship program was designed to increase the number of qualified math and science teachers obtaining their teaching credentials at CSUEB and going on to serve at high-needs schools. Noyce Scholarships were used to attract academically successful community college transfers, senior mathematics and science majors, and STEM professionals to become highly effective teachers in urban school districts. Each scholar was supported for $10,000 per year for one to two years and is required to teach at a high-needs school two years for every year of support. During the six-year period scholarships or stipends were awarded to 47 recipients that include candidates from underrepresented backgrounds. This exceeds our original goal of 31-41 recipients. Of these students 35 have so far earned their credential and 33 have begun teaching in a school in a high-needs school district. In the second year of the program, a group of Noyce Scholars were in the innovative program that attempted to provide a bachelor’s degree in a science or in mathematics simultaneously with a teaching credential in four years at our University. This program made unrealistic demands for the completion of courses within the four-year time period and was discontinued after one unsuccessful year. This unfortunate innovation produced most of those recipients of scholarships who failed to complete the teaching credential. The CSUEB Noyce Scholarship program supported all of our scholars in their credential program and some of the scholars also in their senior year of their undergraduate program. Each year the entering Noyce scholars participated in an orientation where they met each other and the directors and learned about the goals of the project, the support they will receive, and their required commitments. These students, together with the Affiliate Scholars and the Future Math and Science Teacher Scholars, also participated in periodic support and professional development meetings. There were informal, round table meetings as well as two formal meetings per year. The seniors in the CSUEB Noyce Scholars Program worked to complete majors in math, biology, physics, geology or chemistry. The programs provide the content knowledge the graduates need in order to enter their single-subject credential programs. The CSUEB teacher preparation program prepared the candidates for their teaching credentials through a variety of field experiences integrated with academic and pedagogical courses. Each of the seniors in the program met with PI Hann each quarter to plan their timely completion of their bachelor’s degree and to ensure they were on track to complete the California requirements to establish subject matter competency so they would qualify to enter the credential program. Both PIs served the credential student scholars to ensure they are taking the right steps to qualify for the appropriate single subject credentials. In particular, single subject science students are being encouraged to earn a credential in at least two science areas and also in mathematics.
