Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger joined the University of California, California State University (CSU) and business leaders on May 31 in announcing the creation of a bold new effort to enhance the supply and preparation of science and mathematics teachers for California's public schools.
Under the "California Teach" program, the UC system over the next several years will quadruple its annual production of credentialed science and mathematics teachers, from 250 per year to 1,000 per year by 2010. This initiative is the largest of its kind in the nation. Undergraduate students at UC will be able to achieve, in four years of study, both a bachelor's degree in science, mathematics or engineering and the preparation to enable them to become a secondary-school science or mathematics teacher.
The CSU system will join in the effort by expanding its own teacher preparation programs for science and mathematics teachers as well as its recruitment of students to the profession.
Boosting Economic Strength
The overall effort is aimed at bolstering California's long-term economic prospects, which are largely dependent on the availability of a work force that has the scientific and mathematical skills to help California's knowledge-based industries thrive. The objective is to expand and strengthen that skilled work force by improving the quality of K-12 science and mathematics instruction through an expansion of the supply and preparation of teachers in these fields.
The governor asked UC to develop this initiative in collaboration with CSU in his May 2004 "compact" with the two university systems.
"If California is to be a leader in tomorrow's economy, we need to put more emphasis on science and math instruction," said Gov. Schwarzenegger. "This science and math Initiative will expand the efforts of our UC and CSU systems, with the goal of graduating at least four times as many new science and math teachers by the year 2010. The California Science and Math Initiative is the right investment for California's future."
To launch the University of California's program, corporate leaders from across California have pledged to contribute an initial $4 million over a five-year period. A catalyzing lead gift of $1 million was provided by SBC. In addition, Intel Corp. has added a key contribution of $2 million from its foundation.
In total, 18 companies have committed private funds to help UC improve K-12 science and math instruction, including Qualcomm, Boeing, Sun Microsystems, HP, Adobe Systems, US Bank, Apple, Chiron, Amgen, Biogen Idec, Edwards Lifesciences, Apacheta, Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Invitrogen, Wind River, and Burrill & Co. Discussions are underway with additional companies wishing to support the initiative.
"SBC Communications supports the communities we serve with a focus on education and technology," said Chuck Smith, president and chief executive officer of SBC West. "We are proud to support the California Teach program because it will develop the highly trained work force that our state needs to keep our economy growing."
"The average performance of our students in science and mathematics is an alarming problem," said Craig Barrett, Intel chairman. "The issue is one of competitiveness: To remain the world leader in technology with a vibrant and growing economy, we need to substantially upgrade our science and math instruction so our children become the architects of tomorrow's great innovations and technologies. The collaboration between business and government on the California Teach initiative represents a good first step toward improving science and math education."
In addition, the governor has pledged $1 million in the May Revision to his 2005-06 state budget proposal to support the planning and operation of the first phase of the program at UC and CSU. Furthermore, the governor's May Revision proposes to expand a loan-forgiveness program of the California Student Aid Commission, authorizing 350 new awards in 2005-06 for students participating in this science and mathematics teacher preparation program.
Because each of the 1,000 UC-trained science and mathematics teachers will touch the minds of more than 1,000 California children during 10 years of teaching, the UC campaign to produce these highly qualified teachers is being referred to as the "One Thousand Teachers -- One Million Minds" campaign.
"Improving achievement in science and mathematics in our public schools is critical to securing the economic future of California," said UC President Robert C. Dynes. "Throughout its history, UC has worked to address the real challenges confronting the people of California, and today the challenge in science and mathematics achievement demands our attention. We are eager to bring the educational resources of the University of California to help create better futures for our state"s young people and to help preserve California's position of global economic leadership."
The academic performance of California K-12 students in math and science remains a major challenge for the state's economic future. The National Science Foundation recently reported (National Science Indicators, 2004) that California 8th-graders scored last in the country in sciences and seventh from the bottom in mathematics.
But while many of California's economy-driving industries depend upon a scientifically and mathematically literate work force, the state faces a teacher shortfall in these fields. In 2002-03, nearly 1,500 mathematics classes in California high schools were taught by teachers with no teaching credential, and such was the case in more than 800 science classes. Even more classes were taught by teachers with a credential in an unrelated subject area.
That same year, all segments of California higher education collectively awarded 1,389 mathematics degrees, yet the total need for new mathematics teachers that year was 2,131. Compounding the problem, nearly one-third of California's existing teaching work force is expected to retire in the next decade, and studies indicate that K-12 science and mathematics teachers nationally have attrition rates of nearly 40 percent after four years of teaching.
"A core mission of the California State University's is to prepare the state's teachers to meet the changing needs of our K-12 schools and our state's industries. The CSU has the faculty, the infrastructure, the expertise, and the commitment to step up to meet California's growing need for highly qualified math and science teachers in the public schools," said CSU Chancellor Charles Reed. "It is a challenge we have already begun to address, and with this additional funding, we stand ready to do more."
CSU currently trains 60 percent of the state's elementary and secondary teachers. UC produces about 45 percent of the state's science, mathematics and engineering baccalaureates.
Improving Teacher Workforce
UC's "California Teach" program will include several elements:
• A science, engineering or mathematics bachelor's degree, plus preparation for a single-subject teaching credential, in four years of study.
• Field experience in K-12 classrooms, supervised by "mentor teachers" from K-12, plus summer institutes focusing on discipline-specific teaching methods to meet state teacher-credentialing requirements.
• A year-long, paid teaching internship upon graduation to facilitate students' entry into the teaching work force.
• Financial incentives, including loan-forgiveness programs, for participants who commit to teaching science or mathematics for a specified period after graduation, and additional incentives to encourage students to teach in low-performing schools.
• Post-graduation summer internships in industry settings, and other similar activities, to help keep teachers in the profession and keep them updated on the linkages between their classroom curriculum and its applications in the world of business and industry.
• Gradual growth in the number of K-12 science and mathematics teachers prepared annually by UC, from 250 currently to 1,000 per year by 2010.
The program will initially focus on producing highly qualified secondary science and mathematics teachers. Students in this program will be encouraged to prepare for, and pursue upon graduation, National Board Certification in teaching. The new program will be rolled out in phases beginning in 2006.
UC developed its "California Teach" program through extensive consultations, including with more than 700 faculty, intersegmental education partners, industry leaders, foundations, and a variety of state and national organizations involved in science, mathematics, engineering, technology, and teaching.
The program also was developed based on research-tested best practices established by the National Science Foundation, the Carnegie "Teachers for a New Era" program, existing UC teacher preparation programs, and the highly successful "U-Teach" program of the University of Texas, Austin.
A full description of the "California Teach" program is available
here:
Source: UC Office of the President
UC's "California
Teach" program will include several elements:
•
A
science, engineering or mathematics bachelor's degree, plus preparation
for a single-subject teaching credential, in four years of study.
•
Field
experience in K-12 classrooms, supervised by "mentor teachers" from K-12,
plus summer institutes focusing on discipline-specific teaching methods
to meet state teacher-credentialing requirements.
•
A
year-long, paid teaching internship upon graduation to facilitate students'
entry into the teaching work force.
•
Financial
incentives, including loan-forgiveness programs, for participants who
commit to teaching science or mathematics for a specified period after
graduation, and additional incentives to encourage students to teach in
low-performing schools.
•
Post-graduation
summer internships in industry settings, and other similar activities,
to help keep teachers in the profession and keep them updated on the linkages
between their classroom curriculum and its applications in the world of
business and industry.
•
Gradual growth in the number of K-12 science and mathematics teachers
prepared annually by UC, from 250 currently to 1,000 per year by 2010.
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