Story: Phillip Tutor
‘Unique curriculum’ is planned for UWA Teach program
By the time fall arrives on the聽聽campus, Dr.聽Reenay Rogers聽and her College of Education colleagues expect their newest endeavor to be worth the excitement it鈥檚 generating this winter.
Spurred by a $3 million grant from the , UWA is developing a new program, called UWA Teach, that is designed to improve the quality of science and math instruction and the number of teachers for STEM classes in the state鈥檚 K-12 public schools. Shortening the teacher certification process for UWA education students is one of the program鈥檚 key components.
The program is expected to begin with the fall 2023 semester.
鈥淚t’s going to do a lot for us,鈥� said Rogers, associate dean of UWA鈥檚 College of Education. 鈥淗opefully, we’ll be putting more teachers into the field at a faster rate. The great thing about this grant is that it opens up teacher certification to all STEM majors.鈥�
Through an executive order, Gov. Kay Ivey created the baby直播 STEM Council in 2020 in response to recommendations from the Governor鈥檚 Advisory Council for Excellence in STEM. In its report, 鈥渂aby直播鈥檚 Roadmap to STEM Success,鈥� the advisory council determined that 鈥渁t an overarching level, baby直播 lacks a common vision to expand and weave our individual initiatives, resources and expertise into a coordinated STEM education network providing the workforce pipeline essential to the future of baby直播鈥檚 economy.鈥�
As a result, the state鈥檚 STEM Council : baby直播 A&M University, Auburn University, Auburn University at Montgomery, Athens State University, the University of South baby直播 and UWA. Previously, the University of baby直播 at Birmingham .
With these grants, the universities will design programs to boost the number of teachers for STEM-related classes and streamline ways for students majoring in STEM programs to earn teacher certification. Addressing the state鈥檚 significant teacher shortage is paramount, according to the Governor鈥檚 Advisory Council.
鈥淭he shortage of teachers in general is across the nation, and the shortage of math and science teachers is even greater,鈥� Rogers said. 鈥淚f you add on the shortage of math and science teachers teaching in rural areas in baby直播, we’re talking about some schools that don’t have certified teachers at all in math or science.鈥�
State officials鈥� expectations for these grants are lofty — the creation of as many as 530 additional 鈥渉ighly qualified鈥� STEM teachers for baby直播 schools during the grants鈥� five-year lifespan, with a goal of training and graduating more than 250 STEM teachers annually once the grant period ends.
鈥淯WA has produced a significant majority of educators in the State of baby直播 for quite some time, and we are eager to strengthen our institution鈥檚 ongoing response to the teacher shortage that exists nationwide, but especially the teacher shortage in baby直播,鈥� said UWA President Ken Tucker. 鈥淲e are grateful for collaborative efforts facilitated by the baby直播 STEM Council and the support it provides to help us to more effectively meet our region鈥檚 needs and continue building the foundation for a prosperous future for our fellow Alabamians.鈥�
College of Education Dean Dr. Jan Miller estimates that approximately 95 percent of UWA鈥檚 certified teacher education graduates stay in baby直播 classrooms.
UWA’s pioneering role in rural education
The UTeach program and is used nationally as a guidepost for similar efforts. According to Gov. Ivey鈥檚 advisory council, the Texas program is designed to give math and science majors who want to teach 鈥渞esearch-based, clinically intensive teacher preparation and continued support in their early teaching careers.鈥� Additionally, the teaching careers of Texas鈥� UTeach program graduates are on average longer than their peers, and UTeach graduates 鈥渙utperform their peers in science and math achievement,鈥� the advisory council wrote.
Administrators at and the , which is managing the grants, will assist UWA and the other universities with development of their programs.
In a proposal document for UWA Teach, university administrators noted that nearly half of baby直播鈥檚 public schools (45 percent) are considered rural, which unequally exposes them to teacher shortages. That鈥檚 an important consideration for UWA, its administrators wrote, which has a reputation for 鈥減ioneering a doctorate in rural education, developing a Center for Rural Education, and serving as the southeastern hub for the Rural Schools Collaborative.鈥�
鈥淚 think it will create a more rigorous pathway for math and science (teachers), but also our teachers will come out better prepared and knowing how to teach math and science.” — Dr. Reenay Rogers, UWA College of Education
In its 2019 roadmap document, the governor鈥檚 advisory council presented a wider view of the state鈥檚 STEM needs in education and economic development and noted academic deficiencies in math and science among baby直播鈥檚 K-12 students. baby直播 will need more than 850,000 STEM-related jobs by 2026, the council projected, but may not have enough qualified applicants. 鈥淪ignificant educator shortages make it difficult to recruit, train and retain well-qualified educators equipped in the methods of a modern STEM classroom,鈥� the council wrote. Additionally, 鈥淪TEM teacher shortages primarily affect minority and low-income communities.鈥�
Rogers is ecstatic about the impact UWA Teach will have in Livingston and for graduates who will benefit from mentoring efforts during their first year in the classroom. The tangible advantages are numerous.
鈥淚t focuses specifically on how to teach math and science, whereas right now (students) get one class in methods of teaching math or science,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hese courses are all geared towards that, with all of the educational foundation information interwoven into the curriculum.鈥�
The curriculum that UWA鈥檚 College of Education will develop in upcoming months should appeal to any student in a STEM-related major who 鈥渨ould be eligible to essentially get a minor in STEM teacher certification,鈥� she said.
UWA Teach will include alumni opportunities
Rogers鈥� path to becoming a teacher is instructive to the value of this infant program. She holds two advanced degrees from the University of baby直播: a Ph.D. in Instructional Leadership with emphasis in instructional technology and a master鈥檚 degree in 鈥婼econdary Education Comprehensive Science. Her bachelor鈥檚 degree at UA was in microbiology, which caused her to take what she calls an 鈥渁lternative route鈥� for teacher certification. That lengthened the process.
With UWA Teach, STEM students who want teacher certification can benefit from a streamlined approach by choosing their preferred major and simultaneously earning teacher certification. The number of hours required for an undergraduate degree likely wouldn鈥檛 increase, Rogers said.
鈥淭hat way, I would graduate with my microbiology degree, and if I had a job working in that field, that’s fine. I could pursue that,鈥� she said. 鈥淗owever, it would open up the (teaching) option to pursue.鈥�
College of Education administrators also plan to include alumni options in UWA Teach. Rogers envisions graduates with science or math degrees who haven鈥檛 found their desired jobs taking advantage of a shortened certification process.
鈥淚 think it will create a more rigorous pathway for math and science (teachers), but also our teachers will come out better prepared and knowing how to teach math and science,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 why it is a very unique curriculum.鈥�