Solomon Bililign & Chuck Stone North Carolina A&T State University Greensboro, North Carolina

1. Enhancing North Carolina’s Math & Science Teacher-Preparation ProgramsIdentifying Long-Term Goals and theRole of Universities within the UNC System Solomon Bililign & Chuck Stone North Carolina A&T State University Greensboro, North Carolina

2. North Carolina’s Public Schools • Need 10,000 new teachers every year • NC public and private colleges only produce about 3,300 traditionally trained teachers each year • Others enter the profession through alternative training programs

3. Why the Shortage? • Retirements • School growth • Class-size reductions • Teachers leaving the profession

4. The Result? NC hires HALF of its new teachers from OUTSIDE the state!

5. Appalling Statistics • In the past 4 years, the 16-campus UNC System has produced a total of 3 physics teachers • 15 of these campuses have teacher-preparation programs • Several have nationally-recognized math and science departments

6. Appalachian State University East Carolina University Elizabeth City State University Fayetteville State University NC A&T State University NC Central University NC School of the Arts NC State University UNC-Asheville UNC-Chapel Hill UNC-Charlotte UNC-Greensboro UNC-Pembroke UNC-Wilmington Western Carolina University Winston-Salem State University 16-Campus UNC System Nationally Recognized Schools of Education

7. 2006 Media Reports • Several universities are in a rush to “manufacture” more teachers • Fill the market in a short period of time • Little regard to product quality

8. A&T’s “FAST TRACK” Program • School of Education initiative devised May 2006 • 5-week program, June 29 - August 4 • Participants meet Monday thru Thursday, 12-6 pm, completing 15 credit hours • A transition-to-teaching tailored for individuals who earned UG degrees (18+ credits) in math or science GOAL: To prepare participants to begin teaching math or science in NC secondary schools by August 2006

9. A&T’s “FAST TRACK” Program NO INPUT from math or science faculty! • A short-sighted approach to a long-term challenge • Little or no focus on math or science pedagogies • Does not address discipline-specific curricular matters • Activity-based instruction • Calculator and computer use • Durable & non-durable supplies • Effective lecture styles & techniques • Lab issues (management, oversight, and safety) • The list goes on and on …

10. At Many Institutions … • We have fallen behind in responding to our teacher-preparation needs • We have insisted on maintaining traditional university structures that have separated pedagogy from the content • Science Departments & Schools of Education have done research in science education independently

11. Physics Educators Must Lead Long-term solutions will ultimately meet our short-term teacher needs • Attract more students into teaching • Provide more student-teaching scholarships • Improve teacher-preparation programs • Encourage math & science majors to consider getting their teaching credentials so that teaching becomes an immediate career option when they graduate or decide to change jobs

12. Vision and Planning • UNC System must strengthen and support low-enrollment programs that provide core courses for future teachers • University programs should be judged in terms of their impact on both state and national initiatives • Faculty/staff resources must be designated and tailored to meet teacher-preparation goals • Universities must become more active with both on- and off-campus recruiting efforts to excite students about higher education in general and teaching in particular • In the areas of math and science, demonstration shows and educational outreach programs provide two unique vehicles for promoting our needs

13. Questions We Must Answer • How does the quality of NC’s STEM programs relate to the state’s economy, quality-of-life, and social structures?

14. Questions We Must Answer • What programs have NC Universities initiated, developed, or adopted during the past four years to increase the number of secondary school math and science teachers?

15. Questions We Must Answer • What types of partnerships, programs, or best practices have been established to encourage NC students to pursue careers in science education?

16. Questions We Must Answer • What barriers discourage students from pursuing math and science careers, and how can Universities help students overcome these obstacles?

17. Questions We Must Answer • How can Universities help existing certified teachers obtain advanced degrees, or become certified in other subject areas?

18. Questions We Must Answer • What alternative programs has NC considered in an effort to increase the number of certified math and science teachers?

19. First Steps for North Carolina • Develop a strong collaborative interaction between Science Departments and Schools of Education at each of the UNC System campuses • Develop strategies to specifically address the shortage of qualified science teachers • Develop structures that will help each party accomplish its individual and common goals

20. First Steps for North Carolina Statewide, math & science faculty need to • Enhance curriculum • Incorporate advances in pedagogy • Design and deliver outreach programs • Develop research interests in math and science education • Adopt teaching strategies that nurture math & science teachers • Embrace community service projects that promote math/science teacher education • Initiate and direct collaboration with • state legislators • members of the UNC General Assembly • other faculty and staff within the 16-campus UNC System to develop long-term plans that address NC’s teacher shortage

21. First Steps for A&T • Get university support to oversee necessary changes in course development, delivery, and evaluation • As an HBCU, nurture and support African-American and other underrepresented minority students to pursue degrees in math or science teacher education • Increasing the number of well-trained, highly qualified math & science teachers, especially those with minority backgrounds, will provide many of our state’s rural, suburban, and urban schools with a rich source of teachers that can serve as positive role models and mentors in today’s diverse classroom settings

22. Math and Science Teacher Education Institute • It will be important for statewide math and science teacher preparation programs to stay up-to-date in all aspects of its services. • To coordinate the basic tenets and special needs of these math and science disciplines, North Carolina A&T would like to develop a Math and Science Teacher Education Institute that will bring content and pedagogy together under one roof for the entire UNC System.

23. Math and Science Teacher Education Institute • Statewide group, consisting of • University math, science, and education faculty • Secondary School teachers, principals, guidance counselors, and math/science specialists • Develop a career outreach program that actively encourages high school students, both locally and across the state, to consider future careers as math and science teachers • Develop a student-centered, hands-on, inquiry-based approach to learning math and science • Will serve as a guiding light that encourages faculty to develop pedagogical tools and methods courses appropriate for each discipline that can be easily used anywhere across the state • Will use assessment and evaluation techniques extensively

24. Goals and Timelines • Immediate: Appoint or hire faculty with interests and abilities in Science Education • Short-Term: Work with the UNC System to encourage the State of North Carolina to develop a scholarship / teaching program that will attract students to careers as math or science teachers • Mid-Term: Actively recruit African-American and other underrepresented minority students to pursue degrees in math or science teacher education • Long-Term: Design a suite of math and science resources that can be provided to teachers and their classrooms in lower-income schools across the state

25. Thank You! Solomon Bililign & Chuck Stone North Carolina A&T State University Greensboro, North Carolina