Michigan State University will help meet the need for science instructors in high-need schools across the nation with a new teacher-preparation program.
Supporting Early-Career Teachers of Science Through Urban Partnerships – MSU SETS-UP for short – is a five-year fellowship that will provide fellows with secondary science teaching certification, as well as a master's degree.
Funded by a $2.8 million grant from the Noyce Foundation and the National Science Foundation, the initiative will equip those with backgrounds in the sciences for middle- and high-school science teaching careers in high-need classrooms throughout the country.
Primarily, high-need is defined as at least 40 percent of students enrolled at that school who qualify for either free or reduced lunch. Most of these schools are in urban or rural areas.
“Retention rates are significantly lower in high-need schools, versus other contexts,” said Gail Richmond, director of the program and MSU associate professor of education. “This initiative will not only prepare, but will support effective, committed secondary science teachers during the critical early stages of their careers, leading to higher teaching retention.”
The program, intended for recent college graduates and career-changers, offers:
- An in-state tuition stipend
- $10,000 per year for the first four years of teaching, after completing program requirements
- Admission to a combined certification and master’s degree program in education
- Support and mentoring throughout the four-year commitment to teach in a high-need school
Fellows will enter the teaching profession with deep content knowledge after completing intensive course and field work; the centerpiece of the program is a full-year residency in a high-need secondary school. Fellows also receive professional support across their first four years of teaching.
Applications are now being accepted. To learn more about the fellowship or to apply, visit the program website, or contact Gail Richmond at gailr@msu.edu or (517) 432-4854.