KC-TEACH is a collaboration involving the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) College of Arts and Sciences, Schools of Education and Biological Sciences, and the Kansas City, Missouri School District (KCMSD), seeking to increase the number of high school science teachers in the KCMSD. Scholarships are available for undergraduate students who have 2-3 years to complete both their undergraduate degree in biology, chemistry, geology, or physics and science certification requirements, which obligates the recipients to 4-6 years of teacher service in a high-need district. Stipends are also available for STEM professionals enrolled in the UMKC science bachelor's recipient /second-career program, enabling participants to complete high school science certification in one year and then obligating them to 2 years of teacher service in a high-need district. The project is preparing 28 new science teachers in biology, chemistry, earth science or physics over five years by equipping candidates to provide high-quality science instruction and placing them in a high-need urban high school. The project provides early field experiences for freshmen and sophomores in high school science classrooms of master teachers. KC-TEACH program completers are supported in their first three years of teaching through careful first-year placement and mentor selection and new teacher orientation, classroom management support, and socialization into the teaching profession.
Research associated with the project is investigating the effectiveness of inquiry instruction at improving content knowledge, reasoning, and attitudes of science students and preparing teacher candidates who are well equipped to provide high-quality science instruction in high-need areas. A major contribution of this research is the identification of factors and characteristics that can be used to predict retention of science teachers in high need areas beyond contractual obligations.
