Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program Track 1 Project: Strengthening the Preparation of Secondary Mathematics Teachers in Arizona

About This Grant

The proposed project plans to provide 35 scholarships to enable 18 high-achieving undergraduate students to obtain an undergraduate degree in mathematics and become mathematics teachers in high-need secondary schools in Arizona. This Track 1 project aims to serve the national need of preparing highly qualified and skilled mathematics teachers with a strong background in the discipline and pedagogy who are responsive to their students’ different needs. The project intends to recruit local undergraduate STEM students into the secondary mathematics teacher preparation program, housed in the Mathematics Department at the University of Arizona. Scholars in the project receive authentic hands-on mathematics teaching experiences and participate in Family Math workshops to gain experience in working with students' parents and their community. The significance of this project is that it enables prospective teachers to become skilled secondary math teacher-leaders. The on-campus Center for Recruitment and Retention of Mathematics Teachers provides important support for the new mathematics teachers in the first years of their careers through an established Induction Program. This program supports new teachers through mentoring, personal coaching, professional development workshops, and a financial stipend separate from the Noyce funding. This project at the University of Arizona includes partnerships with the state's largest high-needs local district, the Tucson Unified School District, and critical entities on campus, including the Center for Recruitment and Retention of Mathematics Teachers, which works closely with districts across Arizona, the Office of Early Academic Outreach, and the College of Education. One-year scholarships are planned to be awarded over a five-year period to recruit, retain, and graduate highly qualified mathematics majors who are also Noyce Scholars prepared to be new mathematics teachers. The scope of this project follows recommendations for teacher preparation from the Conference Board of the Mathematical Sciences and the standards document from the Association of Mathematics Teachers Educators. It also builds on established research and practice on community-focused responsive teaching. This University of Arizona Noyce project can serve as a model for the development of skilled educators who support the mathematical flourishing of all students. With the assistance of a project evaluator, project outcomes are slated to be shared nationally at conferences and through publications. The Noyce program supports talented STEM undergraduate majors and professionals to become effective K-12 STEM teachers and experienced, exemplary K-12 teachers to become STEM master teachers in high-need school districts. It also supports research on the effectiveness and retention of K-12 STEM teachers in high-need school districts. 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.