Partners for this Track 1 project to produce 41 high school mathematics teachers include Virginia State University (VSU) as the lead institution, three community colleges (John Tyler and J. Sargeant Reynolds Community Colleges and Richard Bland Junior College) and two school districts (Petersburg and Chesterfield County Public Schools). Their overall goal is to recruit, prepare and sustain teachers, from underserved populations, who are capable of creating professional, positive, research-informed, STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) responsive, technologically-intensive and effective mathematics learning environments for all students.
The Scholars are being recruited from three specific populations: (1) VSU's current STEM majors, (2) students pursuing certificates or degrees in STEM-related disciplines at the partnering two-year community colleges, and (3) juniors and seniors at local high schools. As a recruiting tool, summer internships are being offered to 100 freshman and sophomore students from both VSU and the cooperating community colleges. The internship includes, among other activities: (1) a three credit mathematics course; (2) reinforcement of mathematics skills; (3) introduction to web technology; and (4) an overview of STEM careers. The program for the scholars emphasizes community building and includes: (1) faculty and peer mentoring; (2) preparation for all requirements of secondary licensure, including the Praxis; (3) resume writing and interviewing skills; (4) an introduction to useful technology and grant writing; (5) participation in professional organizations and meetings; and (6) team building. Support for the Scholars during their first three years of teaching, includes: (1) a Mentor /Scholar Teacher Professional Community comprised of new teachers, mentors and faculty at VSU and the partnering community colleges designed to provide individual, group, and internet housed contact among the participants; (2) summer mini-workshops involving current and past Scholars, exemplary mathematics high school teachers, and VSU and partnering community college faculty that focus on effective pedagogy, problem solving, diversity preparation, technology, and classroom management; and (3) a funded one credit-hour hybrid course.
Intellectual Merit: Information from the research-based evaluation of the project will be widely disseminated through contacts in the state and through presentations at professional organizations.
Broader Impact: The nature of the student population at the institutions involved and the emphasis of the program on service at underserved schools insures creation of a diverse effective set of secondary mathematics teachers throughout the schools served by this project.
