WNY Noyce Scholars Partnership Phase II: Advancing STEM Educators

The WNY Noyce Scholars Partnership: An NSF Noyce Phase II Scholarship and Stipend Project continues to support undergraduate and graduate students as they shift their focus from STEM disciplines to STEM education and enter programs leading to initial teacher certification. The $750,000 NSF project is the second Noyce award to the college. The project supported forty-three scholars during Phase I from 2004 to 2010. Phase II has supported fifteen scholars thus far including 5 in the current academic year. Noyce Scholars give back to the educational community in a number of ways. First and foremost, they are providing high-quality STEM education to our next generation of scientists, engineers, mathematicians, etc., but equally important is their commitment to working in high-need environments. Each Noyce Scholar commits to serving high-need students for two years for each year of support. A large number of Noyce Scholars continue to serve well beyond that minimum and data are being collected to explore factors contributing to that commitment. The Noyce project also supports its scholars by engaging them in professional communities including scholars’ professional organization membership and conference attendance, local professional meetings, and other related activities all of which contribute to the retention of these scholars in the field of STEM education. Project research goes beyond retention and commitment to high-need students to include study of the scholars' teaching practice. Classroom observations and use of the Reform Teaching Observation Protocol (RTOP) allow for documentation and analyses between and among Noyce scholars and other STEM educators.