New Jersey Science Teachers Association

2005 Annual Conference

NSF-Noyce Scholars Partnership of Western New York

Investigators

Joseph Zawicki, Department of Earth Science and Science Education, SUNY—Buffalo State College

Sc #130, 1300 Elmwood Ave, Buffalo NY 14222, E-mail:

Dan MacIsaac, Department of Physics, Susan McMillen, Department of Mathematics,

David Henry, Department of Elementary Education and Reading, David Wilson, Department of Mathematics

Support for this project has been provided by the National Science Foundation (NSF) Department of Undergraduate Education grants DUE0304097 and DUE0434103, Buffalo State College and the Physics Teaching Pathways program. The NSF does not endorse project conclusions and findings.

National and New York State Demand

Teacher shortages exist in specific content areas, under certain salaries and working conditions, notably in rural and urban settings (Darling – Hammond, 2000). Teacher shortages, ranked by national demand, exist in special education, physics, mathematics, chemistry, and Spanish (AAEE, 2003). During the 2001 – 2002 school year, only 70% of New York State physics teachers were permanently certified and over 40% of teachers were over 50 years of age (MacIsaac, Zawicki, Henry, Beery & Falconer, 2004, New York State Education Department, 2002).

Addressing the Demand

The NSF–Noyce scholarship program supports the transition of science, technology, engineering and mathematics professionals and content majors into teaching programs. The Buffalo State College Physics Teaching Pathways program offers alternative certification that differs from traditional certification pathways. Such programs typically avoid a student teaching component.

Buffalo State College

The State University of New York College at Buffalo is an urban campus center serving just over 11,000 students. Total undergraduate enrollment is approximately 9000 students, total graduate enrollment is approximately 2000 students. The college serves approximately 740 evening – only students and 450 disabled students. Twenty-eight percent of the undergraduate students major in education, and many are the first in their family to attend college. SUNY Buffalo State College classes are typically small. Buffalo State is the first and largest city institution with NCATE accreditation. The college is a Carnegie Masters 1 institution specializing in bachelor’s and master’s level students.

Western New York Noyce Partnership

STEM and education faculty of Buffalo State College, in collaboration with 99 Western New York school districts located in five BOCES centers, the BSC Center for Excellence in Urban and Rural Education, other SUNY Colleges and high needs local educational authorities applied for a NSF grant in the spring of 2004. The NSF-Noyce Western New York Partnership for New Science and Math Scholars provides scholarship support for undergraduate students and stipends for graduate students. The money targeted for students entering STEM certification programs. This grant provides proximately $500,000 for four years of support. Based on projected Buffalo State College costs, awardees may receive a maximum of $8,500 per year. Only students enrolled in STEM certification programs (undergraduate or graduate levels) qualify for this program. Students may receive up to two years of support. Award recipients agree to teach two years in high needs districts for every funded year of academic support received. A seminar series facilitates professional growth. Application forms and additional supporting materials are located at: http://physicsed.buffalostate.edu/pubs/noyce. This presentation may be found at http://physicsed.buffalostate.edu/pubs/NJSTA/Fall05.

American Association for Employment in Education, Inc. (2003). 2003 Executive Summary: Educator Supply and Demand in the United States. Columbus, OH: AAEE. Available from

Darling-Hammond, L. (2000). Solving the dilemmas of teacher supply, demand and standard: How we can ensure a competent, caring and qualified teacher for every child. Washington: National Commission on Teaching & America’s Future. ED463337

MacIsaac, D.L., Henry, D., Zawicki, J.L. Beery, D. & Falconer, K. (2004). A new model alternative certification program for high school physics teachers: New pathways to physics teacher certification at SUNY-Buffalo State College. Journal of Physics Teacher Education Online, 2(2), 10-16.

Willie-Schiff, N. (2003). Private communication of NYSED physics teacher data 1970-present. NYSED, Albany.