November 16, 2007
Bowling
Green, Ky. - Western Kentucky University will receive a grant of up to $2.4 million to improve teacher
education in math and science following a competition that included submissions from more than 50 universities nationwide.
The grant for WKU’s SKyTeach is one of 12 to be awarded by the National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI) to implement programs modeled after UTeach, a highly successful math and science teacher preparation program at the University of Texas at Austin.
WKU was the only institution in this region of the United States selected by NMSI for the five-year grant.
“Replication of the UTeach program at WKU will not only address this region’s need for math and science teachers, but will serve all of Kentucky and the entire mid-south region,” President Gary Ransdell said.
“SKyTeach will be a distinct and prestigious program and join the Honors College, the Center for Gifted Studies and the Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky as elements transforming WKU into a leading American university with international reach.
“Since its founding in 1906, WKU has been a leader in teacher education and continues to prepare more teachers than any other institution in Kentucky. All areas of the university recognize teacher preparation as an important mission of the institution, and not just the responsibility of one group.”
SKyTeach is a collaboration of WKU’s Ogden College of Science and Engineering and the College of Education and Behavioral Sciences and includes partnerships with 10 of 31 school districts in the Green River Regional Educational Cooperative (GRREC).
The UTeach program was established in 1997 at The University of Texas at Austin as a new and improved way to introduce undergraduate math and science majors to secondary school teaching. By offering compact degree plans, early teaching experiences and financial assistance for undergraduate students, UTeach provides a platform for raising the quantity and quality of mathematics, science and computer science teachers in secondary schools.
UTeach certifies more than 70 students every year at The University of Texas at Austin. More than 90 percent of these UTeach graduates immediately go on to teach in their respective fields, and over 80 percent continue four years after starting, compared to only 60 percent nationally. Additionally, almost half of UTeach graduates teach in schools where more than 50 percent of students receive free or reduced price lunch.
“I have been impressed by the tremendous results the UTeach program has had in Texas, and I look forward to the great outcomes that will result from expanding this program across the nation,” said Tom Luce, President and CEO of NMSI.
The National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI) is a non-profit organization whose goal is to help the United States maintain its global leadership position in technological innovation. ExxonMobil contributed an initial $125 million to NMSI’s efforts. Additional donors include the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation. NMSI is committed to the hallmarks of the UTeach program becoming the national standard for math and science teacher preparation.
“As a company that employs 14,000 engineers and scientists, ExxonMobil knows how important it is to provide the best education and training possible for our nation’s young people,” said Rex Tillerson, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Exxon Mobil Corporation. “We are proud to be part of this important effort to begin to address the critical shortage of math and science teachers in our schools.”
The UTeach Institute was created to expand and replicate UTeach at universities in Texas and across the United States.
In addition to the grants, the UTeach Institute has developed numerous resources to help in replication efforts nationwide, including a UTeach operations manual and a framework for collecting demographic data and conducting evaluations. The UTeach Institute will also be engaged in building a community of faculty and Master Teachers who will instruct UTeach courses to facilitate the sharing of successful practices.
“UTeach has proven to be a very successful model for preparing our next-generation science and math teachers, and we’re very excited to have the opportunity to replicate the program at universities across the Unites States,” said Dr. Mary Ann Rankin, dean of the College of Natural Sciences at The University of Texas at Austin. “The more the program spreads, the more fine teachers we will be producing to inspire and educate our nation’s children to discover and create new science and technology for the future.”
About the National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI): NMSI is an innovative non-profit organization created to scale programs proven to positively impact math and science education in the U.S. For information about NMSI, visit www.nationalmathandscience.org.
About The UTeach Institute: The UTeach Institute was created to provide direction and leadership to expand and replicate the UTeach mathematics, science, and computer science teacher preparation program at universities across the nation. The primary goal of replicating UTeach is to increase the quantity and quality of mathematics, science, and computer science teachers in schools. UTeach is a highly innovative and successful teacher preparation program, which has doubled the number of mathematics and science majors being certified at The University of Texas at Austin. For information on the UTeach Institute, visit www.uteach-institute.org.
About Exxon Mobil Corporation: Exxon Mobil Corporation is a leading international energy company whose subsidiaries have operations in most of the world's countries. In the United States, ExxonMobil has significant exploration and production, refining and marketing and chemicals operations. ExxonMobil is one of the largest oil and gas producers and reserves holders in the United States, with a portfolio including Alaska, onshore Gulf Coast and deepwater Gulf of Mexico. In addition, there are approximately 13,000 Exxon and Mobil branded service stations in the U.S., as well as seven refineries, four of which are integrated petrochemical facilities. For information about ExxonMobil, visit the company’s website at www.exxonmobil.com.
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