Expanding and Strengthening the STEM Teacher Workforce Through UTeach

Over the course of five years (2018–2023), this UTeach initiative advanced its mission to increase the number, diversity, and academic achievement of students pursuing STEM disciplines and careers by developing STEM teachers who stay in teaching and engage diverse groups of students in meaningful learning in STEM disciplines. This project achieved two primary goals:

• Increased the number of highly qualified STEM teachers in high-need schools through the strategic expansion of UTeach secondary STEM preparation pathways.

• Increased the number of computer science teachers who can broaden participation of underrepresented students in computer science in high-need schools through evidence-based professional development of in-service teachers.

The project brought together well-established UTeach programs from four universities: Louisiana State University (LSU), The University of Houston (UH), The University of North Texas (UNT), and The University of Texas at Austin (UT). The UTeach Institute collaborated with these partners to build on the UTeach program model to develop and implement seven innovative, alternative pathways to prepare new STEM teachers, including an emphasis on preparing certified computer science teachers. At the same time that new approaches to pre-service STEM teacher preparation were being developed, in-service teachers were engaged in professional development to broaden participation in computer science and bolster belonging in STEM.

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This project was supported by the U.S. Department of Education’s Supporting Effective Educator Development (SEED) program.