Science and Math Teacher Initiative

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Science and Math

Teacher Initiative

(CalTeach)

2013-14 Program Highlights Report

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OVERVIEW

The University of California Science and Math Teacher Initiative — known as CalTeach —

is making a strong contribution to the supply of highly qualified teachers of math and science

by strengthening the state's undergraduate pipeline.

California, a hub of tremendous technological innovation, is challenged like much of the nation by a shortage of the math and science teachers needed to prepare future generations for the workforce. Several factors contribute to this shortfall:

significant decreases over the last few years in the number of people pursuing teaching credentials, both in California and beyond, a projected wave of teacher retirements and increasing K-12 enrollment in the near future.

CalTeach was created to help address this challenge. Launched in 2005 by the University of California (UC), CalTeach successfully recruits, prepares and inspires talented undergraduates to explore careers as math or science educators.

Housed at all nine of UC’s undergraduate campuses — Berkeley, Davis, Los Angeles, Irvine, Merced, Riverside, San Diego, Santa Barbara and Santa Cruz — programs invite students majoring in science, technology, engineering or math (STEM) disciplines to augment their studies with a sequence of CalTeach courses and fieldwork experiences that introduce them to teaching while they concurrently complete undergraduate degrees. These courses, together with research opportunities and practical experience in K-12 classrooms, complement participants’ discipline-specific studies and prepare them to seek a teaching credential while or after earning a bachelor’s degree.

CalTeach reaches students and schools throughout the state. Since the program's inception, more than 9,000 UC undergraduate students have explored a career in teaching math or science by participating in a CalTeach program. Of these, 1,342 have gone on to earn a math or science credential.

FEATURES

CalTeach provides students¹ with the skills, experience and tools to pursue a teaching credential and, eventually, a career in teaching. Through rigorous CalTeach courses, program participants learn conceptual teaching skills and practice these methods in local K-12 classrooms, through field experiences offered through their courses and through intensive summer internships at local schools. Seasoned mentor teachers oversee participants’ experiences in K-12 math and science classrooms. Additionally, nearly all CalTeach programs offer a minor or concentration in math and/or science education that focuses on teaching in those disciplines.

Three UC campuses — Berkeley, Irvine and Los Angeles — offer accelerated credential programs that provide CalTeach students with two options: earn a teaching credential along with their baccalaureate degree in four years, or combine the last year of undergraduate studies with their first year of credential studies.

In collaboration with UC faculty and graduate students, CalTeach programs sponsor research projects that contribute to best practices in preparing and supporting math and science teaching and learning. Sample research topics include assessing CalTeach graduates’ preparedness for teaching, the effect of field experiences on attitudes toward teaching and public education, and effective methods for tracking CalTeach graduates who enter teaching careers.

“The CalTeach contribution to public education lies not only in its excellence in

preparing much-needed STEM teachers, but also in raising awareness about the

value of teachers and the teaching profession among the state’s future engineers,

scientists and mathematicians."

PROFESSOR GEORGE JOHNSON, CHAIR, CALTEACH EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

1 The great majority of CalTeach students are undergraduates; however, a small number of graduate students also participate.

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PROGRAM OFFERINGS

CalTeach provides a rich array of academic and career preparation opportunities for students interested in pursuing a math or science teaching credential.

Its components are grounded in current research on the best practices in teacher preparation. Although campus programs have distinct approaches to teacher preparation, common features across CalTeach programs include:

• Recruiting and advising

• Relevant coursework

• Field experiences

• Research experiences

• Professional networking opportunities

• University faculty collaboration across disciplines

• Mentorship by K-12 teachers

• Data collection and analysis

• Community college partnerships

• Financial aid and stipends for students and mentor teachers

“ CalTeach has prepared me so well, with over 200 hours of fieldwork in K-12 classrooms, dozens of teaching strategies, and substantial practice designing discovery-based and cognitively demanding lessons."

KIM NGO, MATHEMATICS MAJOR, UC IRVINE STUDENT TEACHER, LA QUINTA H.S.

“ As a first-generation college student, I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to gain hands-on experience inside and outside of the classroom, helping me to prepare and strengthen my skills for the future.

CalTeach has given me the support, guidance and motivation to become a math educator."

MACKENZIE LUCKY, STUDENT ADVISOR FOR CALTEACH, UC BERKELEY

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IMPAC T

CalTeach continues to grow

CalTeach enrollment is at the highest level since the program’s inception, with 1,742 students participating in 2013-14.

UC TEP Enrollment

CSU TEP Enrollment

70 Math

25 Math 59 Science 22 Other⁴

18 Other⁴ 19 Math 15 Science

physical sciences (156) other STEM (124)

engineering (95) interdisciplinary/

multiple STEM (55)

computer science (10)

biological/life sciences (390)

mathematics/statistics (387) 2012-13

2013-14 2011-12

1,738 participants 1,742 participants

1,643 participants

2012-13 2013-14 2011-12

2,471 course enrollment 2,688 course enrollment

2,386 course enrollment

1,217 CalTeach STEM Undergraduates

by Major 2013-14

CalTeach graduates are earning math and science

teaching credentials

Since 2006-07, 1,374 teaching credentials have been awarded to CalTeach graduates. The number has steadily increased, despite a diminishing number of teaching credentials being awarded across the state. In 2013-14, a total of 289 credentials were awarded to CalTeach graduates, comprising 131 math, 151 science, and 7 supplemental credentials.²

2006 to 2014

total

science mathematics

supplemental 50

100 150 200 250 300

number of credentials

2006 to 2014

CalTeach UC California

200 400 600 800 3,500

3,000 2,500 2,000 1,500 1,000 500

UC graduates earning a math or science credential

are also, increasingly, CalTeach graduates

In 2013-14, CalTeach alumni accounted for nearly 47 percent of all the math and science credentials awarded to UC baccalaureates, an increase in share of 7 percent over the previous year.2006 to 2014 ³

total

science mathematics

supplemental 50

100 150 200 250 300

2006 to 2014

CalTeach UC California

200 400 600 800 3,500

3,000 2,500 2,000 1,500 1,000 500

YEAR IN REVIEW In 2013-14, CalTeach continued its successful recruitment and preparation

of UC undergraduates for careers as math or science teachers. Despite the statewide trend of

decreases in the number of people entering the teaching profession, CalTeach participation is on the

rise. The following sections highlight recent outcomes related to impact, diversity and preparation,

which together provide an overview of the program’s achievements.

CalTeach graduates are enrolling

in Teacher Education Programs

In 2013-14, 203 CalTeach graduates pursued teaching careers in UC and CSU Teacher Education Programs (TEP). Of those, 163 enrolled in a math or science single subject credential program.

70 Math

multiple STEM (55)

2013-14 2011-12

2012-13 2013-14 2011-12

2,471 course enrollment 2,688 course enrollment

2,386 course enrollment

by Major 2013-14

CalTeach graduates pursue

careers in public education

Since the program’s inception, nearly 1,436 CalTeach graduates have gone on to work in public schools throughout California, many in high-need communities.

378 115 162

746

Over 1,400 CalTeach alumni have pursued careers in public school districts throughout CA.⁵

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DIVERSIT Y

CalTeach graduates in STEM majors

are highly diverse

In comparison to all UC STEM majors, CalTeach graduates are more diverse across an array of demographic indicators, including gender, ethnicity and families’ college background.

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

female

underrepresented minorities⁶

first-generation college student

CalTeach 59%

UC 46%

CalTeach 21%

UC 16%

CalTeach 42%

UC 38%

Consistent with the program’s mission to prepare prospective educators that are themselves representative of the growing diversity of California’s K-12 students, nearly 67 percent of 2013-14 CalTeach STEM graduates were students of color, including underrepresented minorities and students from Asian backgrounds.

PREPARATION

CalTeach attracts STEM majors systemwide

Across all UC campuses, the great majority of CalTeach participants are majoring in STEM fields. In 2013-14, nearly 70 percent of participants were STEM majors, with most majoring in the biological/life sciences or mathematics/statistics.

70 Math

multiple STEM (55)

2013-14

2011-12

2012-13 2013-14 2011-12

2,471 course enrollment 2,688 course enrollment 2,386 course enrollment

by Major 2013-14

CalTeach participants are working

in high-need schools

In 2013-14, CalTeach students participated in field placements in 198 K-12 schools where they gained real-world classroom experience. Although these field placements occurred throughout the state in schools with a variety of economic and educational characteristics, nearly 37 percent were low-performing and high-need schools based on the state’s Academic Performance Index (API 1-5).

FUNDING In addition to its state funding allocation, CalTeach programs on every campus are supported by a combination of government, foundation, private industry and other extramural sources. All CalTeach programs have received support from the National Science Foundation (NSF), through the NSF Noyce Scholars program and, in some cases, through NSF S-STEM grants, to provide scholarships, fellowships, stipends and programmatic support intended for the recruitment and preparation of STEM majors and professionals to become K-12 teachers.

CalTeach has also been supported financially by private corporations such as Amgen, Agilent, Bechtel, Hitachi and JP Morgan Chase, and through partnerships with Math for America, 100Kin10, the National Math Education Advancement Foundation, the Knowles Science Teaching Foundation, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and the National Math and Science Initiative.

Finally, each UC campus on which a CalTeach program resides provides significant monetary and in-kind resources through faculty and administrator time, classroom space, student scholarships and other kinds of support.

2 California Commission on Teacher Credentialing, 2013.

3 Ibid.

4 “Other” includes enrollment in other single subject and multiple subject programs.

5 California State Teachers’ Retirement System, 2014; counties for 35 CalTeach alumni are undetermined.

6 Includes African American, Chicano(a)/Latino(a), American Indian and Alaska Native.

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University of California Office of the President Diversity and Engagement ucdiversity@ucop.edu 510.987.9776

ucop.edu/diversity-engagement

CalTeach programs are housed at each of UC’s nine undergraduate campuses:

Berkeley calteach.berkeley.edu

Davis mast.ucdavis.edu

Irvine education.uci.edu/calteach

Los Angeles cateach.ucla.edu

Merced calteach.ucmerced.edu

Riverside smi.ucr.edu

San Diego physicalsciences.ucsd.edu/programs/cal-teach

Santa Barbara education.ucsb.edu/calteach

Santa Cruz calteach.ucsc.edu

Data sources for this report include the following:

• California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC)

• California Department of Education (CDE)

• California State Teachers’ Retirement System (CalSTRS)

• California State University

• University of California