UF joins new-teacher imperative to boost science, math instruction in U.S.

November 3, 2010

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The University of Florida is the newest member of a nationwide coalition of public research universities working to increase the number and diversity of high-quality middle and high school science and mathematics teachers in the U.S.

UF is one of 125 institutions and 12 university systems to join the Science and Mathematics Teacher Imperative, known as SMTI, launched in late 2008 by the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities, the nation’s oldest higher education association. The initiative is funded in part by a $1.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation.

Tom Dana, associate dean for academic affairs at UF’s College of Education, will serve as UF’s liaison to the group.

“The Science and Mathematics Teacher Imperative is the largest new-teacher initiative in the country for strengthening science and math teaching,” Dana said. “It brings together the nation’s most successful programs in this field to share institutional plans and collaborate effectively on state and national efforts to advance math and science education.”

He said SMTI is developing a set of online tools to help individual states precisely analyze the supply and demand of science and math teachers.

Dana is a co-coordinator of UFTeach, one of UF’s most innovative programs in this effort. UFTeach recruits some of UF’s brightest math and science majors and inducts them into the teaching ranks with specialized training, mentoring support and hands-on classroom teaching experiences. Alan Dorsey, physics professor and associate dean of UF’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, is the other co-coordinator.

UF’s College of Education also partners with two other Florida universities — South Florida and Florida State — in the Florida PROMiSE project, a professional development initiative designed to bring practicing teachers up to speed on new, rigorous state standards in math and science. The state-funded effort recently received a special award for its impact from Workforce Florida, the state’s work force policy and oversight board.

South Florida, Florida State and Florida International University are the other Florida universities involved in the SMTI initiative.

Recruiting and retaining more middle and high school math and science teachers is a critical work force need in Florida and across the nation. The Florida Department of Education estimates that fewer than 10 percent of math and science teacher vacancies in the state are filled by current teacher education efforts, and fewer than 20 percent of math and science teachers are fully certified in the subjects they teach.

“A work force literate in science and mathematics is absolutely critical to the future of Florida,” Dana said. “Our involvement in the SMTI initiative positions the University of Florida at the forefront of efforts to relieve this workforce shortage, not only for Florida but the nation.”