This Capacity Building project is laying the foundation for the creation of four specialized dual licensure programs to help meet the needs of rural and high-needs school districts for qualified secondary school teachers with one of four pairs of high demand specialties: mathematics and physics, life sciences and chemistry, mathematics and teaching of English as a Second Language (TESL), and life sciences and TESL. The PIs are coordinating a team of five content and education faculty, science and mathematics representatives from community college partners, and colleagues from high-needs school districts, to work together to design the new licensure programs, prepare institutional and state approval applications, and establish articulation agreements. Primary expected outcomes include: 1) the establishment of strong partnerships between the PI's institution, three two-year institutions, a regional service cooperative, and a number of local high need school districts; 2) the development and piloting of a targeted recruitment plan to engage STEM majors in considering a career in teaching, and 3) the design of mentoring, administration, and evaluation plans to support full-fledged implementation.
