Building on insights developed during Phase I of the Cal Poly Science Noyce Program, this Phase II Project is producing twenty new STEM teachers (to add to the thirty-three produced in Phase I) while tracking and analyzing the progress of the first cohort of Noyce Scholars. Cooperating school districts include: Santa Maria-Bonita School District, Santa Maria Joint Union High School District, and Lucia Mar School District.
Intellectual Merit: Phase II Noyce Scholars are benefiting a) from a required research experience through the STEM Teacher and Researcher (STAR) Program during their pre-service years that can be incorporated into and enrich their credential coursework and clinical field experience, and b) from interactions with and mentoring from Phase I Noyce alumni during their training and early years of teaching in high need schools via face-to-face meetings and online interactions. Noyce alumni are benefiting from annual summer professional development workshops designed to support implementation of scientific and engineering practices experienced through prior research into their classroom teaching through modeling, project-based learning, and other proven strategies.
Broader Impacts: In addition to the benefits to area and other high needs schools due to the teachers produced by this project, the evaluation of the project is helping to provide evidence to support the adoption by others of the STEM teacher education and professional development practices found to be effective by this program. Longitudinal studies of the Phase I Noyce STAR alumni is providing valuable insights into the effects of undergraduate research experiences, mentoring, and professional development on the career trajectories, teaching approaches, and effectiveness of these teacher-researchers.
