What is NSF TEACH! SouthCoast STEM?

In the Fall of 2011, the Center for University School and Community Partnerships (CUSP) located in University of Massachusetts Dartmouth School of Education, Public Policy and Civic Engagement (SEPPCE) was awarded $2.86 million from the National Science Foundation/Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program to implement the NSF Teaching Fellowship/Master Teaching Fellowship Program, known as NSF TEACH! SouthCoast STEM. This program requires a five-year commitment from its participants in return for graduate course work and professional development, as well as annual stipends of $10,000.

NSF TEACH! SouthCoast STEM supports:

• STEM post-baccalauretes (including recent college graduates, career changers and current teachers on a preliminary license) who enroll as NSF Teaching Fellows in UMD's Master's of Arts in Teaching - Initial License (MAT-I) degree program leading to initial teacher licensure in mathematics, science or technology/engineering by providing academic courses, professional development, and annual stipends while they are fulfilling a four-year teaching commitment in a high-need partner school district (see below for our partner school districts). 

       AND

• the development of NSF Master Teaching Fellows by providing professional development and annual stipends for CURRENT exemplary mathematics, science or technology/engineering teachers to become Master Teachers in a high-need partner school district (see below for our partner school districts). 

As part of this grant, CUSP is collaborating with UMD's College of Engineering to develop an initial license in Technology/Engineering (grades 5-12), which fills an urgent need in the SouthCoast region.  CUSP is also teaming up with the Ocean Explorium at New Bedford Seaport to provide professional development for both the NSF Teaching Fellows and Master Teaching Fellows, AND the New Teacher Center to provide content mentor training and e-Mentoring for Student Success (eMSS) to the program participants. 

Additionally, NSF TEACH! SouthCoast STEM is working in partnership with middle and high schools in the following high-need districts:

• Diman Regional Vocational Technical High School
• Fall River Public Schools
• Global Learning Charter Public School
• Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical High School
• New Bedford Public Schools
• Wareham Public Schools

Is it the same program that was launched in 2008 with Cohort I?

No.  Since the fall of 2006, the TEACH! SouthCoast program has certainly grown and matured.  TEACH! SouthCoast was previously funded through a generous grant from a federally funded program known as the Transition to Teaching Program.  After five full years of generous financial support, we no longer receive funding from the Office of Innovation and Improvement at the U.S.D.O.E.  Now our funding comes from the National Science Foundation/Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program.

Historically, TEACH! SouthCoast recruited only those teacher candidates seeking their initial license.  Now, NSF TEACH! SouthCoast STEM has expanded to also include recruiting "master teachers", who will strengthen their leadership skills and content knowledge.  In addition, our new program has increased the number of school district partners that we are now able to work with, as well as the number of high-needs schools (see above).

Finally, NSF TEACH! SouthCoast STEM requires a five-year teaching comittment on the part of the participant in return for academic courses, professional development, and annual stipends.

As an NSF Teaching Fellow, what is my general plan during the five years of NSF TEACH! SouthCoast?

• Earn Initial Teaching License while completing a full-year teacher residency in the first 12 months
• Earn Masters of Arts in Teaching - Initial License 3 months later (in a total of 15 months from start of the program)
• Complete Teacher Leadership Certificate in Year 5
• Achieve Professional License Status, per Department of Elementary and Secondary Education in Year 5
• Participate in induction year and e-Mentoring for Student Success  (eMSS) facilitated by the New Teacher Center
• Participate in graduate course work and content-based professional development facilitated by the Ocean Explorium at New Bedford Seaport, the Kaput Center for  Innovation and Research in STEM Education, and the Buzzards Bay Writing Project 
• Participate in program evaluation
• Complete a minimum of one summer internship at a local STEM business or venue
• Receive a $10,000 stipend per year for the final four years of the program (total of $40,000)

As an NSF Teaching Fellow, which classes would I be taking in order to earn my initial teaching license and Masters of Arts in Teaching (MAT-I)?

NSF Teaching Fellows will take their Initial Licensure and MAT courses in phases throughout 15 months with experienced UMass Dartmouth faculty members - both full-time professors from the main campus, as well as adjunct faculty members who may include school- and district-based practitioners.  In order to earn an Initial License in grades 5-8, 8-12 or 5-12 (middle or high school level), teacher-candidates at UMass Dartmouth are required to earn a total of 18 graduate credits by taking the following six courses:

• EDU 500 Fundamentals of Teaching & Learning
• EDU 511 Contemporary Instruction
• EDU 512 Teaching & Managing Inclusive Classrooms, K-12
• Content Methods course - One methods course in LICENSURE subject area
  • MTE 502 (Middle School Math)
  • MTE 503 (High School Math)
  • SCI 541 (General Science)
  • SCI 551 (Biology)
  • SCI 561 (Chemistry)
  • PHY 530 (Physics)
  • Technology/Engineering (TBD)
• EDU 525 Integrated Reading Literacy and Content Methods Middle/Secondary 
• EDU 532 Teaching Practicum or Teaching Practicum Equivalent - Middle/Secondary

The Master of Arts in Teaching degree program leading to the Initial License (MAT-I) requires a total of 30 graduate credits.  University students who complete their 18 graduate credits in the licensure-specific courses above are then eligible to continue earning the additional 12 graduate credits required for the degree.  NSF Teaching Fellows will earn a general MAT-I degree, with a focus on Subject Matter Knowledge by taking the following:

• MAT 513 - Urban Education and Social Issues
• MAT 610 - Educational Research and Technology
• Two graduate-level courses in your specific CONTENT AREA

As an NSF Master Teaching Fellow, what is my general plan during the five years of NSF TEACH! SouthCoast?

• Complete Teacher Leadership Certificate
• Serve in leadership role at school or district level while performing action-based research on an identified school or district need
• Participate in Content Mentor Training facilitated by the New Teacher Center
• Take STEM-integrated courses facilitated by the Ocean Explorium at New Bedford Seaport
• Serve as a Supervising Practitioner  to a Teaching Fellow and conduct instructional rounds
• Participate in program evaluation
• Attend events sponsored by CUSP’s School Leaders Network
• Complete a minimum of one summer internship at a local STEM business or venue
• Choose 3 options: Co-teach a STEM-related course at the Ocean Explorium at New Bedford Seaport; serve as a guest speaker in NSF TEACH! SouthCoast courses; attend Kaput Center STEM Speaker Series; participate in Buzzards Bay Writing Workshops for writing across STEM content areas
• Receive a $10,000 stipend per year for the final four years of the program (total of $40,000)