November 16, 2007
Bowling
Green, Ky. - Western Kentucky University is ready to take the preparation of math and science teachers to the next level with SKyTeach.
“We are the largest producer of teachers among the state universities in Kentucky and we are committed to continuing to ensure that the quality of this preparation is at the highest levels,” Provost Barbara Burch said. “We also are serious about our responsibility to be successful in ensuring that the science and math teachers that are so critically needed in our schools and our state are recruited and well prepared to be there to meet the needs of students.”
SKyTeach, a replication of the successful UTeach program at University of Texas-Austin, will be a partnership between WKU and 10 of the 31 school districts in the Green River Regional Educational Cooperative -- Bowling Green, Warren County, Glasgow, Grayson County, Hancock County, Hardin County, Hart County, LaRue County, Logan County and Russellville.
The project is funded by a grant of up to $2.4 million by the National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI).
“The resources provided by ExxonMobil through the NMSI builds on ongoing collaborative efforts between Ogden College of Science and Engineering and the College of Education and Behavioral Sciences to train teachers in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) disciplines and will greatly increase the capacity of WKU in this regard following a proven blue print for success. We are excited,” said Dr. Blaine Ferrell, dean of Ogden College.
Student recruitment for SKyTeach will have two components – promoting teacher education to all math and science majors at WKU and raising the awareness among pre-college students, including targeting some of the best young students in Kentucky.
The SKyTeach curriculum will include a strong science/math focus and will be generally structured as a double major in education and science or math. SKyTeach will immediately become the certification route for middle grades and secondary math and science teacher certification.
“This will clearly move WKU ahead in the state in meeting the Council on Postsecondary Education’s goal for increasing graduating rates in the STEM disciplines while also meeting the state’s demand for increasing our numbers of highly qualified math and science teachers,” said Dr. Sam Evans, dean of the College of Education and Behavioral Sciences.
Superintendents of partnering school districts expressed their support for the project in letters of support as part of the proposal to NMSI.
“In the past three school years, we have found it to be almost impossible to hire math teachers in our secondary schools,” Grayson County superintendent Barry Anderson said. “The limited number of math teachers that are available are more willing to work in the metropolitan areas of the state than our rural school district. We have a plentiful pool of elementary teachers but secondary math and science applicants are hard to find in our area.”
The critical shortage of math and science teachers and the opportunity to partner with WKU to solve the problem were echoed in other letters.
“As the fourth largest school district in the state of Kentucky, we have a tremendous need for quality math and science teachers,” said Nannette Johnston, interim superintendent of Hardin County schools. “We attend teacher recruitment fairs across the state of Kentucky and in adjoining states. At all of these events, it is rare to encounter a teacher certified to teach middle school or high school math or science.”
Logan County superintendent Marshall H. Kemp said: “Our school district and a number of other districts in our area have experienced some difficulty in obtaining and retaining math and science teachers for both the middle school and the high school.”
“The opportunity to partner with the math and science faculty at Western Kentucky University in the effort to increase the number of highly qualified and high quality math and science teachers is quite appealing to our district,” wrote Sam Sanders, superintendent of LaRue County schools.
More WKU news is available at www.wku.edu. If you’d like to receive WKU news via e-mail, send a message to WKUNews@wku.edu.
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