(99) The Teaching Pipeline for STEM project creates, implements, and evaluates two new degree programs to facilitate the entry of many more STEM majors into careers in K-12 teaching. The project describes new minors in science education and mathematics education; degrees designed to complement the deep discipline training that upper division courses provide. The new programs provide 40students/year over three years from the Life and Physical Sciences or Engineering with an opportunity to explore science or math teaching through seminars and internships at local secondary schools. Individual projects in the capstone courses of the minors bring these students into collaboration with UCLA faculty and secondary school science and math professionals, teachers of the discipline. By embedding these interdisciplinary minors within the fabric of the science and mathematics departments, the project increases the visibility and value of teaching careers within the research-intensive university environment. Collaboration with faculty on other campuses with large graduate teacher education programs will establish new and flexible pathways and options for UCLA students to move into credential programs. The evaluation plan uses baseline data collected to evaluate the change in the attitudes towards and the valuing of the K-12 education profession in the natural sciences at a research-intensive university resulting from the infusion of the programs in the departments. The project serves as a national model for increasing the number of highly qualified STEM students who enter teaching careers.
