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The Coalition for Science Literacy provides leadership for projects that focus on recruiting, supporting, and retaining mathematics and science teachers who transition into teaching from other careers. Two such projects that ended recently are MASTRACI and MASTERS. The current project led by the Coalition is Marketing of Science Teachers and Induction (MOSTI), funded through a FIPSE grant.
TV Interview April 20, 2007: Dr. Robert Potter appeared on Channel 10's Studio 10 program with middle school teacher Jackie Amato to promote the science and mathematics teacher recruitment and support programs conducted by a collaboration of the Coalition for Science Literacy at USF, the School District of Hillsborough County, and the Museum of Science and Industry.
Marketing of Science Teachers and Induction (MOSTI)
PI and Project Director: Dr. Robert Potter, Professor of Chemistry and Associate Director, Coalition for Science Literacy
The Project: Funded by the U.S. Dept. of Education, Fund for Improvement of Postsecondary Education, MOSTI is a three-year collaboration of the Coalition for Science Literacy, the Museum of Science and Industry, and the School District of Hillsborough County beginning in October 2006.
This project tests a model program to implement innovative marketing to increase the number of career-change professionals teaching middle school science while improving their preparation and support through strongly linked mentoring and content-focused professional development.One purpose of the project is to determine the cost-effectiveness of such marketing strategies and to produce a guidebook that enables other districts to replicate the program.
MOSTI will involve three cohorts of new career-change science teachers over the three-year study, as well as comparison group teachers.
Mathematics and Science Teacher Recruitment, Alternative Certification, and Induction (MASTRACI)
PI and Project Director: Dr. Gerry Meisels, Professor of Chemistry and Director, Coalition for Science Literacy.
The Project: Funded by the U.S. Dept. of Education in October 2002, this
three-year project is led by the Coalition for Science Literacy at the University of South Florida in partnership with the School District of Hillsborough County and the Tampa Museum of Science and Industry. (Funding was extended through September 2006.)
The Need: Improving student performance in mathematics and science requires qualified, certified competent teachers in every classroom. There is a critical shortage of such teachers; for example, 90% of new middle school mathematics teachers in Hillsborough County are not certified. Because the problem is nationwide, we cannot expect to import qualified teachers from other states. At the same time, traditional routes to preparation of teachers through Florida's colleges and universities produce less than 20% of teachers of mathematics and science needed statewide
The Objective: The principal objective of this project is to increase the number of well-prepared teachers of mathematics and science in the School District of Hillsborough County and in surrounding counties.
Project Components: This project has three major components.
- Develop a pool of candidates for teachers of mathematics and/or science through an aggressive marketing campaign (led by the Museum of Science and Industry).
- Add mathematics and/or science components to the orientation of new teachers hired on temporary certificates. Provide subject specific mentors for new mathematics and science teachers to assist in their transition to teaching and increase their retention (led by the School District of Hillsborough County).
- Develop and deliver a Master of Arts for Teaching Mathematics and a Master of Arts for Teaching Science that meets the specific needs of the non-traditional career entrant (led by the University of South Florida). Provide forgivable tuition scholarships to students enrolled in the MAT programs for Mathematics and Science.
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Mathematics and Science Teacher Recruitment and Support (MASTERS)
PI and Project Director: Dr. Gerry Meisels Gerry G. Meisels, Ph.D.
Professor of Chemistry and Director, Coalition for Science Literacy
The Coalition for Science Literacy, in partnership with the School District of Hillsborough County and the Museum of Science and Industry, received a Mathematics and Science Partnership (Title IIb) grant from the Florida Department of Education. The MASTERS project enabled the partnership to continue and further develop the marketing and the teacher recruitment/support begun in the MASTRACI project. The MASTERS project included a District Resource Teacher to coordinate the professional development activities of the career change teacher program.
Project Partners for Career Change Projects
The University of South Florida (USF)
Gerry Meisels( PI) Coalition for Science Literacy
Robert Potter (co-PI),Chemistry and Coalition for Science Literacy
Richard Gilbert, Engineering
Jennifer Lewis, Chemistry
Gladis Kersaint, Mathematics Education
Sandi Schlichting, Coalition for Science Literacy
Denisse Thompson, Mathematics Education
Dana Zeidler, Science Education
The School District of Hillsborough County (SDHC))SDHC)
Barbara Anderson (co-PI), Director of Grants & Research
Nancy Marsh, High School Science Supervisor
Andi Ringer, Middle School Science Supervisor
Michael Smith, High School Mathematics Supervisor
Janet Boatman, Middle School Mathematics Supervisor
The Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI)
Judith Lombana (co-PI), Vice President of Grants and Institutional Research Angela Walters, Marketing Specialist
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