LEad PI Julie Bianchini (center), with the co-PIs of the STELLER grant: (l-r) Sue Johnson, Kathleen Foltz, Jin Sook Lee, Christopher Ograin
Julie Bianchini of the Department of Education at UC Santa Barbara’s Gevirtz School is the lead PI for a new National Science Foundation Noyce Teacher Scholarship grant for $796,872. The project is entitled STELLER: STEM Teachers for English Language Learners: Excellence and Retention. The Co-PIs on the award are Kathleen Foltz in Life Sciences, and Jin Sook Lee, Susan Johnson, and Christopher Ograin in the Gevirtz School.
STELLER’s objectives are: 1) to continue efforts to increase the quality, number, and diversity of secondary mathematics and science teachers; 2) to add a focus on English Language Learners (ELLs) starting at the undergraduate level to thoroughly prepare beginning teachers to teach the disciplinary-specific language, core ideas, and practices outlined in the Common Core State Standards in Mathematics and the Next Generation Science Standards to ELLs in high-need schools; and, 3) to track the trajectories of Teacher Scholars from both the recently ended Noyce CalTeach at Santa Barbara (CTSB) and the current STELLER programs to generate new insights into effective teacher education.
STELLER builds from existing, highly successful efforts to recruit, prepare, and retain exceptional mathematics and science teachers, including UCSB’s two Noyce Teacher Scholarship Phase I programs, CalTeach at Santa Barbara (CTSB), which just concluded in spring 2014, and the current CalTeach Physical Sciences and Engineering (CTPSE). STELLER becomes another component of UCSB’s larger CalTeach initiative, which itself is part of the University of California System’s project to recruit STEM undergraduates into teaching.
The STELLER project aims to bring real change to education. One broader impact will be a 24% increase in UCSB’s production of thoroughly trained, highly motivated mathematics and science teachers. As a second broader impact, UCSB’s beginning Teacher Scholars will effectively teach reform-based mathematics and science to their diverse students, including ELLs, in high-need classrooms. A third broader impact will be the wide dissemination of strategies found effective in (a) preparing and retaining mathematics and science teachers, and (b) teaching reform-based mathematics and science to ELL students. In short, STELLER will provide California’s underserved students with greater access to an excellent STEM education.
Julie Bianchini is a Professor of Science Education and Faculty Director of CalTeach/Science and Mathematics Initiative in the Department of Education. Bianchini’s research investigates ways to make science education accessible, interesting, and understandable to all students. More specifically, she examines issues related to equity and diversity, teacher education and professional development, and the teaching and learning of science. She also has expertise in curriculum development and groupwork instruction. Bianchini also has helped garner grants for research and scholarships totaling over 5 million dollars. Current grants include one from the National Science Foundation’s Noyce Scholarship Program, CalTeach Physical Sciences and Engineering, and one from the National Institutes of Health, Integrating Health and Biology in a Science Curriculum for Latino Preschoolers.