written by Joseph Heppert

The supply of secondary math and science teachers has become a critical concern in most states around the nation. This is particularly true in the physical sciences (chemistry, geology and physics), where the modest numbers of bachelor's degree majors produced annually results in the production of a commensurately small number of secondary teachers. The UKanTeach program, designed as a replication of the UTeach licensure program developed at the University of Texas at Austin, represents a model that could help to address this shortage of secondary math and science teachers. UKanTeach allows students to pursue a B.A. or B.S. major in any area of science or mathematics while completing the coursework required for teacher licensure. This entire program is designed to be completed in four years. Now at the beginning of its third year of implementation, the program has more than doubled the size of cohorts of preservice secondary math and science teachers at the University of Kansas. The program makes use of extensive recruitment through mailings, information tables at freshman orientation and direct appeals to students enrolled in introductory science and mathematics courses. Juniors and seniors enrolled in UKanTeach now act as peer recruiters, presenting 5-minute introductions to the program prior to science and math sections. Approximately 150 individual presentations are made each semester. This combination of strategies has helped UKanTeach consistently outpace its recruitment goals over the past two years.

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Last Modified February 24, 2010