The number of STEM jobs in the US has continued to grow over the past several decades, but the availability of qualified STEM workers in the US has failed to meet this growing demand. Therefore, increasing the number, quality, and diversity of mathematics and science secondary teachers has been identified as critical to future US economic growth and success. In response to this call for action, the Oklahoma State University (OSU) Mathematics and Science Robert Noyce Scholarship program in collaboration with Stillwater Public Schools will produce sixty highly qualified mathematics and science secondary teachers by encouraging students to earn teacher certification with their 4-year B.S. degree in mathematics or science. This goal will be accomplished by 1) encouraging undergraduates majoring in mathematics or science to become teachers through summer recruitment internships and recruitment scholarships, 2) providing need-based scholarships aimed at retention and persistence during the semester of student teaching, and 3) supporting students as they progress through their first several years of teaching.
Future mathematics and science secondary teachers will be recruited from mathematics and science majors at OSU, including biological science, chemistry, geology (earth/space science or physical science), mathematics, and physics. Recruitment will focus on providing summer internships for freshmen and sophomores who are interested in potentially pursuing a career in secondary education, and providing recruitment scholarships for juniors and seniors who have decided to declare one of these majors with a secondary teacher certification option. The internship program is designed to provide a flexible framework for both students and internship partners (including faculty whose research activities include a K-12 outreach component), with an emphasis on providing diverse experiences to students and supporting students interested in the physical sciences. The summer internship experience will culminate in an Internship Showcase near the beginning of the following academic semester to highlight student experiences and accomplishments, encourage student confidence and interest in a teaching career, and to recruit additional students to the program. Need-based retention scholarships will be provided to students during their last semester in the program when they are student teaching. Induction year support focuses on a hybrid (online and face-to-face) Professional Learning Community (PLC) to provide peer and professional development support for teachers during their first several years in the classroom, including a stipend for participation. Collectively these program components complement and enhance ongoing teacher preparation activities at OSU, and will lead to an increase in the number of highly qualified mathematics and science secondary teachers produced by the OSU program, as well as early career teacher retention. The results from program assessment will contribute to knowledge about factors that positively and negatively affect early career teachers from the demographic groups represented at OSU, which include a high percentage of Native Americans, students from rural school districts, and students with high financial need.
