In this Phase II project the PI team and partners at several local school districts: Lucia Mar Unified School District (LMUSD), Santa Maria Bonita School District (SMBSD), and Santa Maria Joint Union High School District (SMJUHSD) are working together to attract high quality Cal Poly mathematics majors into teaching careers and preparing them to be credentialed teachers, committed to teaching in high-needs school districts. The project is providing nine mathematics majors with two-year scholarships to support the final year of their undergraduate studies and their subsequent participation in a one-year credential program. In addition twelve students from the larger group of STEM majors are receiving scholarships to support their participation in the one-year credential program. Scholars from Cal Poly and other Noyce scholarship projects in California also have the opportunity for continued professional development through the Cal Poly summer Noyce scholars workshops. The intellectual merit of this project rests in its focus on the recruitment of exceptional students into a quality teacher preparation program that complements an expanded high-quality professional development experience during the summers for the Noyce scholars. Cal Poly Noyce Scholars are mentored by university faculty and local teachers who challenge them to excel in the classroom and provide them the opportunity to consider relevant educational issues, as part of their formal training to receive a secondary teaching credential. This support continues through attendance at summer workshops as they begin careers as mathematics teachers in high-needs school districts. The broader impact of this project is felt first in its preparation and retention of well-prepared secondary mathematics teachers for high-need school districts. Moreover, the interplay of academic year preparation and summer professional development with cohorts of teachers from the region acts to create a network of Noyce scholars who can encourage their own students to pursue degrees in a STEM discipline.
