The Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program was introduced in response to President Obama’s “Educate to Innovate” campaign and his pledge of $250 million to increase the number of K-12 math and science teachers in high-need school districts.   The program, established by the National Science Foundation (NSF), was designed to create opportunities to recruit, prepare and support new teachers in the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields through monetary awards to institutes of higher education.  The awards have been used to underwrite scholarships, stipends, and academic programs for undergraduate majors in STEM and post-baccalaureate students with STEM degrees who earn a teaching credential and commit to teaching in high-need K-12 school districts.  The funds can also be used to support exemplary mathematics and science teachers in becoming Master Teachers. 

To determine the impact of Noyce on teacher recruitment and retention and on student achievement, Abt Associates is conducting online surveys and interviews for NSF, which will identify the activities teacher preparation programs use to recruit, select, prepare, and support Noyce recipients. Abt is examining the relationships among program characteristics, financial incentives, and teacher plans to go into, or stay in, teaching and leadership roles.  The Abt team is also using a quasi-experimental design to learn the impact a Noyce grant has on an institution’s production of STEM-certified teachers who teach in high-need districts.  This information, as well as data regarding the effect on achievement scores in math and science of students taught by a Noyce teacher, will help guide NSF in future efforts to meet these goals.