When the school year begins, 14 Orange County Public Schools teachers with newly minted doctoral degrees will return to the classroom prepared to continue serving as leaders in their schools.
These K-8 STEM educators, who comprise the Robert Noyce Master Teaching Fellowship program cohort, are each graduating with a doctorate in curriculum and instruction with a specialization in K-8 mathematics education. However, their program doesn 麻豆精品 S檛 just end here. They are also serving as teacher leaders advocating for evidence-based instructional practices and transforming the ways in which mathematics education is approached.
The state of Florida has not only faced challenges posed by a shortage of teachers, but also by struggles in retaining highly qualified educators. These needs are often exacerbated in Title I schools, in which many of the Noyce program fellows work. Housed in the College of Community Innovation and Education 麻豆精品 S檚 and funded by a U.S. National Science Foundation grant, the five-year program directly addresses the issue of teacher retention through investing in quality educators by increasing their leadership capacity and mathematics expertise. It is led by Sarah Bush, principal investigator, as well as co-principal investigators Lisa Brooks 麻豆精品 S�92 麻豆精品 S�06MEd 麻豆精品 S�14EdD, Juli Dixon and Brian Moore.
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For Shane Wiggan, a Noyce fellow and eighth-grade teacher at Liberty Middle School, being prepared with the knowledge and strategies for effective mathematics instruction has not only helped him support his students 麻豆精品 S� learning gains but also in encouraging a love of learning.
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They 麻豆精品 S檒l also continue an ongoing partnership with nonprofit City Year Orlando, an organization that provides support and resources for high-needs schools through their members taking on roles as volunteer student success coaches. Fellows serve as mentors to these volunteers, some of whom are interested in becoming teachers themselves.
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However, their leadership capacity transcends the classroom. Many of the fellows serve on boards and standing committees for national professional organizations, lead districtwide initiatives, present at mathematics education conferences and are publishing their research.
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Wiggan adds that teachers can sometimes become accustomed to affecting a finite space, such as a classroom or campus, in which they feel they can make a difference. However, he 麻豆精品 S檚 since learned his impact can extend far beyond.
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