This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).
The forty-two Noyce Scholars recruited into this project are benefiting from a newly instituted program resulting from a revamping of three separate science and mathematics secondary teacher preparation programs at Florida State University. It is modeled after the U-Teach Program at the University of Texas Austin. Two school districts, Gadsden County and Leon County, and the Tallahassee Community College are partnering with FSU to ensure a strong recruiting base and appropriate school experiences for the Scholars.
Intellectual Merit: In addition to the strong science and mathematics background the Noyce Scholars have, the program is designed to produce teachers with special skills in working with districts with special needs and to analyze how best to accomplish this. Mentors work with the Scholars from the beginning of their entry into the program to ensure that students get appropriate positive experiences and have an opportunity to reflect on and learn from those experiences. The program includes workshops and seminars for the Scholars that highlight some of the challenges they will encounter in high needs districts and how best to meet these challenges.
Broader Impacts: In addition to the impact of the Scholars on the schools and students they will work with, through a new teacher induction program, special mentors will work with the Noyce Scholars after graduation to create an ongoing community devoted to addressing and meeting the challenges encountered in high needs school districts.
