Phi Theta Kappa, International Honor Society of the Two-Year College


Phi Theta Kappa's
National Science Foundation
Newsletter

Preparing Tomorrow's Science and Math Teachers

Summer 2003
Issue


Phi Theta Kappa to Continue Preparation of Future Math & Science Teachers
NSF to Support Round II of Mentoring Program

Phi Theta Kappa has been awarded $568,250 from the National Science Foundation’s Advanced Technology Education Division. The three-year grant will enable Phi Theta Kappa to enhance and expand the role of community colleges in preparing future K-12 science and mathematics teachers to meet the country’s current critical teacher shortage. Eighteen community colleges will be competitively selected to emulate exemplary mathematics and science teacher preparation programs at:

    Cerritos College, CA

    Delaware Technical and Community College, DE

    Green River Community College, WA

    William Rainey Harper College, IL

    J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College, VA

    Tulsa Community College, OK
Experienced science and mathematics educators from these community colleges, joined in several cases by four-year college colleagues, will constitute the project’s mentor corps. The mentors, representing the disciplines of mathematics, biology, chemistry, physics, and education, will work intensively with assigned community colleges via site visits, conferences, and a variety of interactive technologies. Through a web site, e-mail, networking newsletters, monographs, and conference presentations, the accomplishments of the eighteen colleges will be broadly disseminated to stimulate replication by all other community colleges.

Best Practices to be Recognized

Phi Theta Kappa will also conduct a “Best Practices” competition followed by a “Best Practices” conference, and a widely distributed report, to recognize and share exemplary approaches to mathematics and science teacher preparation at two-year colleges.

“This continuation award will support a second round of Preparing Tomorrow’s Science & Mathematics Teachers. Our goal is to provide additional community colleges nationwide with access to teacher preparation models that demonstrate proven innovative practices replete with strong mathematics and science content,” said Rod A. Risley, Phi Theta Kappa Executive Director.” “NSF is pleased to continue its partnership with Phi Theta Kappa to assist community colleges in preparing prospective science and mathematics teachers for their responsibilities as educators of the nation’s future workforce,” added Dr. Elizabeth Teles, NSF Acting Division Director, Division for Undergraduate Education.

Preparing Tomorrow’s Science & Mathematics Teachers at Community Colleges: Round II will be conducted in cooperation with the American Association of Community Colleges. It will be directed by Diane U. Eisenberg, with Dr. Patricia Cunniff, Dean, Division of Sciences, Mathematics, and Health Technology, Prince George’s Community College, serving as Co-Principal Investigator. Risley will serve as Project Administrator.

 

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