To inform the ARISE effort and further goals, AAAS identified five current NSF Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program grantees to host one-day regional dialogues on Advancing Research and Innovation in the STEM Education of Preservice Teachers in High-Need School Districts.
Attendees included leaders from elementary, middle, and high schools; district and state education agencies; college and universities; and others who recruit, prepare, license and evaluate teachers. Current and former Noyce Scholars and Fellows were also invited to participate.
These institutions hosted the regional dialogues in 2017:
- West: May 4 – University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
- Midwest: May 21-22 – University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE
- Southeast: June 3 – Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, GA
- Southwest: June 7 – University of Texas, Arlington, TX
- Northeast: June 12 – Montclair State University, Montclair, NJ
The dialogues were in response to recent frameworks and calls from standards groups for a change in science technology, mathematics, and engineering (STEM) teacher education and professional development, as well as for changes in teacher certification. Such efforts have resulted in reports that include recommendations for all components of the complex and interacting entities that shape learning and teaching at the classroom level, including state and local education agencies. Recent reports include the National Research Council (NRC) report A Framework for K-12 Science Education: Practices, Crosscutting Concepts, and Core Ideas (2012);Conference Board of the Mathematical Sciences (CBMS) report, Mathematical Education of Teachers II (MET II) (2012); and the 2010 NRC report Preparing Teachers: Building Evidence for Sound Policy.
From the information collected from the regional dialogues and related online surveys and Internet research, AAAS is developing:
- A guide for a coherent approach to innovation in science and mathematics preservice teacher education and leadership development. Input will be provided by leaders in elementary and secondary schools, state and district education agencies, colleges and universities, and others who recruit, prepare, evaluate and license teachers, as well as current and former Noyce Scholars and Fellows.
- Online examples of innovations in science and mathematics preservice teacher education and leadership development programs. These examples will be continually updated.
