This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).
The Math for America Boston: Teacher Scholars Program represents a partnership among Boston University, seven high needs school districts in the Boston area (Arlington, Boston, Cambridge, Chelsea, Lawrence, Waltham, and Watertown), and the non-profit Math for America. The partners are working together to recruit twelve STEM professionals and prepare them to teach mathematics in middle or high schools. The partners are also recruiting five Master Teaching Fellows who serve as mentors and leaders in their districts. The Teaching Fellows are enrolling in a Master of Arts in Teaching degree program with licensure in secondary mathematics. The Master Teaching Fellows have the option of enrolling in a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study program or in a second master's degree program. Fellows are participating in a math immersion program designed to let them experience what it is like to struggle to learn difficult concepts so that they can better help their students. The courses in the programs are being designed to integrate content and method through close and ongoing collaboration of educators, mathematicians, and master teachers. Teaching Fellows are also being prepared for work in urban school settings with an emphasis on effective strategies to assist diverse populations. Master Teaching Fellows are mentoring pre-service teachers as well as Teaching Fellows and are preparing to lead professional development activities in their districts. The project is being rigorously assessed to determine its impact on recruitment, quality, and continued support of Fellows, and ultimately its impact on teaching effectiveness and teacher retention.
