This Noyce Capacity Building project will contribute to the national interest by creating a viable and attractive pathway for STEM students at Neumann University to become certified as teachers. The project aims to supply additional highly qualified STEM teachers to meet workforce needs and to develop a partnership with local high-need schools to ensure that the revised curriculum prepares STEM teachers who have the appropriate knowledge, skills, competencies, and mentorship to excel in the classroom. The project also seeks to deepen partnerships between STEM and education faculty through the curriculum revision process.
This project will revise an existing degree program leading to a Biology degree with certification in Biology and/or General Science teaching so that it can be completed in four years rather than five. Prior work to revise the Mathematics Education curriculum at the institution will be leveraged to inform the revisions. Activities will include the development of two online general education courses, which will be offered in summer to reduce schedule crowding and allow time for early teaching experiences during the academic year. The project will provide professional development opportunities for STEM and education faculty, establish a formal partnership with a local high-need school, and develop recruiting strategies involving school visits, a showcase during the annual Science Olympiad, and targeted redirection of existing majors. A mentoring program and induction support activities for new teachers will also be developed.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
