UTeach

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UTeach A Teacher Preparation Program in
Mathematics and Science
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The Problem

• In the global competition to educate students in
  math and science, Americans are losing ground
• Fewer than one-third of US 4th grade and 8th
  grade students performed at or above a level
  called proficient in mathematics
• U.S. 12th graders recently performed below the
  international average for 21 countries on a test
  of general knowledge of math and science
• Poor student performance threatens our countrys
  long-term competitiveness
• Problem is compounded by chronic shortage of
  highly qualified K-12 teachers of mathematics and
  science

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The Solution UTeach

• What is UTeach?
• Highly successful an innovative teacher
  preparation program for math science majors
• Originally developed in 1997 at The University
  of Texas at Austin to help address disturbing
  shortage of qualified/certified math and science
  teachers
• Collaboration between Colleges of Natural
  Sciences, Liberal Arts and Education
• Integrates a rigorous math or science major,
  research experience, acquisition of effective
  teaching techniques, field experience, and
  certification in a 4-year program

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The Solution UTeach

• History of UTeach at UT Austin
• From pilot project of 28 students in fall of
  1997, UTeach has matured to well-respected
  program with an enrollment of more than 450
  students per year and over 70 graduates per year.
  
• Approximately 82 of UTeach graduates who entered
  teaching 4 years ago are still in the classroom,
  compared with 60 four-year retention nationally.

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UTeach - A National Model

• Focus of National Academies Rising Above the
  Gathering Storm Reports goal to recruit 10,000
  teachers
• US Department of Education National Research
  Council also cite UTeach as a model program
• Replication efforts are being pursued nationally
  through the National Math and Science Initiative
  (NMSI) and the Texas High School Project (THSP)

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Keys to UTeach Success

• Collaboration between Colleges of Sciences,
  Education and Liberal Arts
• Early and continuing positive experience teaching
  in classrooms
• Field experiences with inspiring teachers create
  satisfaction and commitment and prepare students
  more effectively
• First two courses offered at no cost to students
• Invite the whole freshman class to participate
  and pay tuition for the first courses
• Master teachers as faculty advisors
• Supply real life experience, guidance, and
  inspiration
• Internships and scholarships
• Internships provide financial help in an
  educational setting, augment student training,
  and maintain commitment

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Keys to UTeach Success

• Compact degree plans that allow most students to
  graduation in four years
• A focus on developing deep-level understanding of
  the subject material and demonstrating effective
  approaches using technology in teaching
• Faculty who are actively engaged in research in
  mathematics and science and in the teaching and
  learning of mathematics and science
• Innovative new professional development courses
  combine content material and pedagogy
• Focus on teaching science math, how students
  learn, use of technology in teaching research
  experience
• Induction support for new teachers helps insure
  success

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Master TeachersSharing passion for education
with future teachers

• Tremendous examples for apprentice teachers
• Mentors for other aspects of teaching
• Understanding of what new teachers really face
  and need
• Connections with school district teachers and
  administrators
• Impact on college instruction!

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Mentor TeachersExperienced Classroom Guides

• UTeach students are prepared by experienced
  master teachers for first teaching experience
• UTeach students teach first lessons in presence
  of experienced mentor teachers
• Mentor teachers are carefully selected
• UTeach students receive direction, feedback and
  support from mentor teachers

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UTeach Internships
Students gain valuable paid experience
preparation for teaching profession

• Students work in nonprofit educational settings
• Primary form of support for students who must
  work to stay in school
• Paid by UTeach with gift and foundation monies
• Tasks range from mentoring kids to working in
  museums to preparing educational software
• Recruits and retains students in UTeach
• Helps students to become better teachers
• Assists non-profit organizations
• Honestly, I learned as much from my internship
  as from any of the UTeach classes.

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Selling Science Education to Science Faculty

• Leadership from highly respected faculty
• Pride in Excellence
• National recognition
• Outstanding students
• Hiring Incentives
• Offering of extra positions
• Strong scientists hired to teach in the UTeach
  program but are able to do research in the
  science discipline
• Administrative support at every level
• General concern for outreach among science
  faculty that pre-disposes them to be positive
• Curriculum compromises in math and science are
  minimal

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UTeach Enrollment at The University of Texas at
Austin
Source Michael P. Marder
Growth of UTeach from 1997 to 2006
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New Teacher Attrition at UT Austin

Source Richard M. Ingersoll, 2003
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Myth vs. Reality at UT Austin

• Elite science and math students are not
  interested in teaching careers.
• Actually when UT surveyed science and math
  students, 25 had seriously considered teaching
  as a career but had been discouraged by parents,
  classmates or professors.
• Training teachers is the responsibility of
  Colleges of Education and/or second tier
  institutionsScience/math students and faculty at
  R1 Universities have more important things to do.
• Colleges of Science have a responsibility to lead
  the way to solutions in math/science education
  and will directly benefit from that solution.
• Colleges of Education are unwilling to cooperate
  in creating a joint program, so why should we
  bother.
• It is possible to create a win/win situation that
  will elicit full cooperation and even leadership
  from Education.

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Myths vs. Reality at UT Austin

• Science/Math faculty do not value and would
  not/could not participate in a teacher training
  program.
• Science/Math faculty are full and proud
  participants in UTeach at UT Austin. Some
  extremely strong faculty chose UT over competing
  offers BECAUSE of UTeach participation.
• All you really need to be a great teacher is
  knowledge of your discipline. Education courses
  are a waste of time.
• Pedagogy training is very important but it needs
  to be relevant to the discipline and focused on
  student learning.
• University professors know how to teach high
  school students
• They dont

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Semester 1
Partnership New UTeach Courses
includes field experience
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UTeach Curriculum Overview

• STEP I
• Four field experiences in elementary school
  classrooms
• Prepared and supervised by master teachers
• Using research-based materials
• Written and oral feedback from classroom teacher
• UTeach pays tuition

Semester 1
Step 1
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UTeach Curriculum Overview

• STEP II
• Three field experiences in Middle school
  classrooms
• Prepared and supervised by master teachers
• Use research-based materials and write 5-E lesson
  plans
• Written and oral feedback from classroom teacher
• UTeach pays tuition

Semester 2
Semester 1
STEP II
STEP I
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UTeach Curriculum Overview
Semester 2
Semester 1
Semester 3
STEP II
STEP I
Knowing and Learning
Knowing and Learning in Mathematics and Science

• Research on learning and cognitive science
• Misconceptions literature
• Self-reflections on understanding
• Processes by which scientists and mathematicians
  develop new knowledge
• Field Experiences Clinical interviews of novices
  and experts solving math and science problems
• Primary Texts How People Learn (NRC) and Schools
  for Thought (Bruer)

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UTeach Curriculum Overview
Semester 4
Semester 2
Semester 1
Semester 3
Classroom Interactions
STEP II
STEP I
Knowing and Learning
Classroom Inter-actions

• Analyze merits and applications of multiple
  models of teaching
• Frameworks for analyzing instructional sequences
  to promote learning, focusing on content,
  teacher-student, student-student, and group
  interactions
• Analysis of instruction regarding equity toward
  diverse students (e.g., English language
  learners, students with learning disabilities,
  cultural and gender issues in instruction)
• Use of technology to enhance instruction
• Field experiences Students plan, implement, and
  analyze multiple-day lesson sequences in high
  school math and science classrooms

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UTeach Curriculum Overview
Semester 4
Semester 2
Semester 1
Semester 3
Semester 5
Perspec-tives
STEP II
STEP I
Knowing and Learning
Class-room inter-actions
Perspectives

• Taught by faculty in History and Philosophy
• Explores 5 key historical episodes including the
  scientific revolution and the theory of evolution
• Students prepare lesson plans using historical or
  philosophical material
• Fulfills a substantial writing component
  requirement

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UTeach Curriculum Overview
Semester 4
Semester 6
Semester 2
Semester 1
Semester 3
Semester 5
Research Methods

• Taught by Sciences research faculty
• Cross-listed between physics, chemistry and
  biology
• Students perform 4 independent inquiries
• Topics include lab safety, experimental design,
  statistics, elementary mathematical modeling,
  peer reviewed literature and scientific
  controversies
• Fulfills a substantial writing component
  requirement

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UTeach Curriculum Overview
STEP II
STEP I
Knowing and Learning
Class-room inter-actions
Perspec-tives
Research Methods
Project- Based Instruction
Project-based Instruction

• Project-based and case-based instructional
  approaches
• Review, analysis, and observation of complete
  units of project based instruction
• Use of new technology WWWeb, CD ROM construction
• Students design an interdisciplinary
  project-based unit
• Field Experiences Teach, re-teach lesson to high
  school students in extracurricular settings
  observe PBI in local classrooms.

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UTeach Curriculum Overview
Semester 2
Semester 1
Semester 3
Semester 4
Semester 5
Semester 6
Semester 7
Semester 8
STEP II
STEP I
Knowing and Learning
Class-room inter-actions
Perspec-tives
Research Methods
Project- Based Instruction
Student Teaching
Student Teaching

• Stipends for mentor teachers great care in
  placement
• Weekly seminar with master teachers
• Half-days in school, full responsibility for
  teaching classes as soon as practical
• Weekly observations and written evaluations by
  teams of university facilitators
• Loans of technology, supplies and equipment

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Overview of the UTeach Program
CERTIFICATION
Pass State Certification Exam

Recommended for Certification
No UTeach grades below C
Portfolio Review 2
Students apply for Certification during Student
Teaching.
C or better in Classroom Interactions
Enter Level 3
Students may need to modify their portfolios,
pursue additional coursework, or repeat the
state certification exam
Entire freshman class invited to apply
Field Observations
Rejected
LEVEL 1 UTeach Pays Tuition
Students may not continue in the program
or enroll in preservice courses.
STEP 1 Inquiry Approaches STEP 2
Inquiry-Based Design
Students have a period of time in which to take
corrective actions they may continue to take
Level 1 courses.
Courses listed with boldface type have field
components
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Funding for UTeach at UT Austin

• Primary funding support comes from UT Austin
• Approximately 1 million/year UT funds for master
  teacher salaries, advising, staff support
• Significant dedicated facilities
• Scholarships from various sources
• Sustainable private funding is used to support
  some of the special features critical to UTeach
  success
• Endowment Goal of 15M 750,000/year operating
  funds for internships, mentor teachers, tuition,
  induction support, masters program
• Tuition for the first two courses (50,000/yr)
• Mentor teachers in AISD classrooms (200,000/yr
  125-1000/teacher/semester)
• Internships (200,000/yr 1,800/student/semester
  )
• Induction support (100,000/yr)

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For More Information

• UTeach at UT Austin
• http//www.uteach.utexas.edu
• The UTeach Institute
• http//www.uteach-institute.org
• The National Math and Science Initiative
• http//www.nationalmathandscience.org
• Texas High School Project
• http//thsp.com