Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program Track 1 Project: Preparing Secondary STEM Teachers in South-central Texas

This Noyce Track 1 project aims to serve the national need of preparing highly-qualified STEM teachers to address educational disparities in San Antonio, Texas. Additionally, this project will support 15 scholars pursuing degrees in mathematics and science by providing scholarships and targeted support including action research, community-engaged learning, and evidenced-based student-centered pedagogy training. The proposed project components will enable high-achieving prospective teachers to become secondary STEM teachers with extensive expertise in student-centered and culturally responsive instruction. This project at The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) includes partnerships with high-need school districts in the San Antonio area. Project goals include producing 15 new STEM teachers over five years, specializing in mathematics and science education, and preparing them to teach in high-need schools. The theoretical foundation of the project is grounded in evidence-based student-centered learning and action research, which has demonstrated effectiveness in narrowing achievement gaps and fostering deeper engagement in STEM classrooms. This project will be iteratively evaluated. Evaluation of the project will be guided by the following evaluation questions: (a) To what extent are project components implemented with fidelity and quality, and (b) What is the impact of participation in the Noyce program on teacher preparedness, efficacy, retention, and student outcomes? Multiple forms of data will be collected including document analysis, interviews, observations, and surveys to assess implementation fidelity and program impact. Fidelity metrics include adherence, dosage, quality, and engagement, while outcome metrics include recruitment and placement, project completion, teacher retention, CRP implementation, and development of a community of practice. The results of this project will be disseminated to help enhance the field. This Track 1: Scholarships and Stipends project is supported through the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program (Noyce). 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.