Adding It Up
Cal State Fullerton’s Efforts in STEM Education Highlighted at Campus Meeting
January 22, 2007
By Debra Cano Ramos
Cal State Fullerton has one of the nation’s leading and most comprehensive
programs to produce high quality math and science teachers … and
others are noticing the university’s stellar efforts.
The College
of Education hosted a Jan. 10 meeting to showcase programs, recruitment and
outreach projects, professional development and training in STEM (science,
technology, engineering and mathematics) education.
Attendees included President Milton A. Gordon, representatives from
the California State University Chancellor’s Office, College of Education
and College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics faculty members and
Fullerton School District officials. Special guest was Howard J. Gobstein,
vice president for research and science policy at the National Association
of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges (NASULGC).
NASULGC is the country’s oldest higher education association, which
collaborates with its 215 member universities — including CSUF and
the CSU system — and other organizations. The Washington, D.C.-based
association is planning to launch a major initiative this year to “increase
significantly the number of high quality science and mathematics teachers
prepared and inducted into teaching.”
The NASULGC
initiative arrives on the coattails of the National Academies of Science and
Engineering recent report, “Rising Above the Gathering Storm,” which
calls for an annual increase of 10,000 mathematics and science teachers in
order to ensure competitiveness of the U.S. economy.
Gordon said he believes that there needs to be a strong cultural change
to encourage young students’ interest in math and science: “This
cultural divide has to be tackled.”
One of the
critical barriers to improving student achievement is a shortage of qualified
teachers — a shortage many fear will worsen, according to NASULGC. The
CSU system, which trains 60 percent of California’s elementary and secondary
teachers, has made a commitment to double the number of credentialed math and
science teachers it produces each year from 750 to 1,500 by 2010, said Beverly
Young, assistant vice chancellor, Teacher Education and Public School Programs.
“We’re
on target to meet — and exceed — that number,” she said.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has pledged $2 million in the 2007-08 state
budget to continue the university system’s efforts to increase the
number of K-12 math and science teachers. Two years ago, the chancellor’s
office launched a science and math initiative to develop quality STEM teachers
for the state’s schools.
Gobstein is visiting institutions across the nation that have launched
high-quality math and science education programs aimed at increasing
the next generation of teachers. It is important that NASULGC institutions
help to meet this challenge, he said to those assembled at the CSUF
meeting, and noted that Cal State Fullerton is clearly among leading institutions.
Moreover, through the association’s initiative, plans include highlighting
key programs in order to assist other universities in developing similar
STEM education programs.
NASULGC is now in the process of establishing a commission of university,
industry and education leaders to lead the initiative. The announcement
about the commission is expected in February, Gobstein said.
“We’re hoping to make a significant difference in STEM education
nationally,” he said.
As part of the January meeting, Victoria Costa, chair and professor
of secondary education, gave an overview of the College of Education’s
Mathematics and Science Teachers (MAST) project, a universitywide initiative
to recruit, retain and support math and science teachers.
Keys to the project’s success include top administration support
and the collaboration between faculty in the colleges of Education and
Natural Sciences and Mathematics, in which science and math faculty are
involved in the training of future teachers. She stressed that this interdisciplinary
approach is vital to the university’s continued success to prepare
future teachers.
“We have respect for each other and we honor what each of us do best,” she
said, adding that they work together with the same goal in mind: to expand
the math and science teacher workforce.
Under MAST, a wide selection of credential and graduate programs are
offered and solid partnerships have been established with local school
districts and community colleges. Outreach and recruitment efforts are
in place to excite students about considering a career in teaching math
and science.
Financial support is available for such events, including the state’s
Assumption Program of Loans for Education, which provides up to $19,000
in student loan cancellation for future math and science teachers (www.csusuccess.org/aple). Numerous
CSUF professional development programs assist current teachers with further
training and skills to effectively teach math and science to young students.
For more information, go to http://ed.fullerton.edu/SecED/MAST/