California State University, Long Beach Noyce II: Recruiting, Supporting and Retaining Teachers is supporting 21 secondary science or mathematics teacher candidates over the course of four years. The scholarship/stipends are for $15,000 per year. Six scholarship recipients are receiving more than 1 year of support to complete their undergraduate and post-baccalaureate credential programs while 15 stipend recipients are receiving up to one year of funding to support post-baccalaureate credentialing. A strong partnership with a community college, Cerritos College, a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) like CSULB, is providing another pipeline of interested students. Noyce II Scholars have extra fieldwork as part of the program and are tutoring in partner school districts, Long Beach Unified School District (approximately 90,000 students) and Whittier Union High School District (approximately 14,000 students). Both districts include schools which meet the high-need criteria. The tutoring and fieldwork experiences culminate with the Scholars completing their student teaching assignment in a partner high need school. In addition to the fieldwork, Scholars participate in an on-campus seminar series, receive additional mentoring, and are eligible for paid summer teaching and research opportunities. In addition to supporting 21 scholars, this project is examining the successes and challenges of the CSULB Noyce I program. Approximately 35 students received support through the Noyce I grant. The evaluation component of this new grant is studying Noyce I, particularly: 1) how Noyce I alumni are doing in the classrooms; 2) how effective they are in the classroom; 3) how Noyce has influenced their careers; and, 4) for those who dropped out, why they left the program.
California State University, Long Beach completed the final year of Noyce II funding in 2013. The campus had a Noyce I grant from 2004-2009 and a Noyce II grant from 2008-2013. During that time 37 science, math and engineering majors were supported as Noyce Scholars. Each scholar received financial support as well as early field experiences, a professional development seminar series and mentoring. Each Scholar is obligated to teach one year in a high need school for each semester of Noyce support. CSULB's Noyce II program had two components. We committed to doing a longitudinal study of the Noyce I project and to support new cohorts of STEM majors as Noyce II Scholars. Twenty-eight Noyce II Scholars were supported and they are now teaching in high need schools to "pay back" their Noyce commitment. CSULB Noyce Scholars participated in early field experiences, tutoring in partner high-need schools. They participated in a bimonthly professional development seminar series and they completed their student teaching assignment in the partner high-need school. Noyce Scholars participate in STEM professional development opportunities at higher rates than their non-Noyce teacher credential candidate colleagues. 82% of Noyce II Scholars were meaningfully engaged in STEM professional development beyond Noyce and credentialing requirements. The longitudinal study of the Noyce I alumni show that Noyce I alumni found value to their involvement as a Noyce Scholar and felt that it contributed to their success in the classroom. Results of the Noyce I evaluation also show us that Scholars stay in high need schools (and teaching) beyond their required years. The 37 Noyce I Alumni "owed" 83 years in high need schools. To date they have provided almost double that with more than 200 years in teaching and >150 years in high need settings. Additionally, the Noyce I alumni are staying in teaching at higher rates than national averages with 83% of the scholars still teaching after five years. These high quality STEM teachers are staying in high need schools beyond their obligation and their employers find them to be better prepared for the profession than their non-Noyce peers.
