This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).
The Memphis Mathematics and Science Teacher Induction Fellowship program represents a partnership among the University of Memphis, the Memphis City Schools, and the non-profit Partners in Public Education. The partners are working together to recruit twenty STEM professionals in two cohorts and prepare them to teach mathematics or science in high needs districts in Memphis City Schools. The Fellows are enrolling in a Master of Arts in Teaching degree program with licensure in secondary education. Highlights of the program include a paid residency program in which Fellows work in the schools as they are obtaining licensure, close articulation between coursework and field experiences, a focus on content knowledge for teaching, and the use of performance assessments during the training period. In addition, Fellows are receiving mentoring and coaching during the residency as well as during their first four years of teaching. The project is being rigorously assessed to determine the impact of the program on the teaching effectiveness of the Fellows, the overall impact of the program on participants and stakeholders, and the ability to attract, prepare, and retain STEM professionals for teaching careers.