This Phase I project is preparing twenty dually certified math/physics teachers for rural and other high-need schools in Missouri. They are working with the Kirksville R-III School District Senior High School and Schuyler Junior/Senior High Schools and expanding their partnerships to other schools within the state. Noyce Scholars are earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in both physics and mathematics, and secondary teaching certificates in both mathematics and physics as well as a Master of Arts in Education degree.
Intellectual Merit: The proposal is based on prior related programs. The Bachelor's degree is strong in all fields, requiring thirty-one hours of physics, thirty-five hours of mathematics and eleven hours of education courses as well as extensive field experiences throughout the curriculum. Supervision during the two semester practice teaching is by both a subject matter and an education faculty member.
Broader Impacts: The beneficiaries of the project are the many school children who will receive a strong education in mathematics and physics and the school districts that will be able to seed their schools with inspiring teachers who can connect physics and mathematics in the classroom. In addition, through the dissemination of what is learned through project activities, the new approaches may serve as models for other institutions
