California State University, Dominguez Hills is offering $10,000 scholarships to 30 juniors and seniors majoring in biology, chemistry, mathematics, or physics to become science-math teachers in high-need secondary schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District. Noyce scholarships are increasing the number of graduates from CSUDH's science-math credential program and offer financial incentives to attract students, a large percentage of whom are underrepresented minorities, into teaching because many low-income, first-generation college students face daunting economic barriers. While holding a job, they attempt a full course load in science-math, and many experience delays. Noyce scholarships ease their financial burden and enable them to complete their degrees without delays caused by financial hardship.
CSUDH's Noyce Phase I was successful in reducing the time to earn a degree for students who entered as juniors, meeting recruitment goals, retaining all scholars in the program, and providing high-quality teachers to low-income schools. Thus, the Noyce Phase II project retains the project structure with enhancements, which include 1) more focus on recruiting chemistry and physics majors due to the need in LAUSD, 2) mentoring by Noyce Phase I graduates, Noyce Master Teaching Fellows and Noyce seniors, 3) more structured clinical experiences for scholars in science-math teaching in CSUDH's innovative lab school and 4) pre-recruitment of interested freshmen and sophomores through creative partnerships with community colleges.
The Noyce project is operating in cohorts, led by advisors from the colleges of Education and Natural and Behavioral Sciences. Scholars are attending monthly cohort meetings in conjunction with a lab school for peer and faculty support, advising, mentoring, information, and exposure to teaching experts. Through the cohorts, scholars are linked to academic resources, financial aid or other assistance they need. Nearly all Noyce scholars transition into the Transition to Teaching (TTT) accelerated teaching program, enabling them to earn their credential in one year while holding a full-time teaching position as a university intern in a high-need LAUSD school. TTT also provides substantial support in cohorts, leading to high retention. The Noyce Phase II project leverages 1) the innovative, federally funded TTT, accelerated credential program, 2) the NSF Noyce Master Teacher Fellows program and 3) the state-funded undergraduate recruiting program for science-math teachers. In combination, the Noyce, TTT and TEACH grants are providing three years of financial support during the last two undergraduate years and one year of post-baccalaureate teacher training. The evaluation is examining the impact of the Noyce Scholarship program on: 1) Phase I Noyce scholars in terms of their performance as teachers, their completion of the teaching requirement and their retention in the teaching profession; 2) The effectiveness of Phase II Noyce scholars as measured by their performance in the classroom; 3) The effectiveness of Phase II Noyce scholars as measured by their impact on student learning; and 4) Departments and the institution.
