Kenya Overton, as part of her doctoral journey, is working with a professor in the Neag School of Education at UConn who is conducting a study on STEM teacher turnover within Connecticut. They are seeking math or science teachers with at least 10 years of experience in the profession and self-identify as Black or African American.

With funding from the National Science Foundation,they are studying STEM teacher movement and attrition in Connecticut. From data gathered by the CT State Department of Education, they uncovered dramatic variation in science and math teacher movement based on individuals’ race and gender. However, that information is very limited and they can only speculate about the underlying stories that explain this phenomenon. Consequently, they wish to conduct interviews with science and math teachers who could share their perspectives with us.They are particularly interested to learn from Black teachers who have been in the profession for approximately ten years. The plan is as follows:

• For those who agree to participate in this study, they will arrange for three interviews for which each participant will receive an average of $200 per session. The first interview will be an individual interview scheduled at a time convenient to the participant in early 2024. This interview will be approximately 75 minutes in duration and could take place either in-person or virtually. The second interview would involve three to four STEM teachers in a focus group and will require about 90 minutes. Once again, depending on participant preferences, the focus group could be in-person or virtual. This would be scheduled in late spring. The third and final interview would take place during summer and would be individually scheduled. We anticipate this interview would require 75 minutes.
• The goal for this study is to identify factors supportive of math and science teachers remaining in the teaching profession. They anticipate uncovering a range of personal, workplace, and institutional variables that contradict the common sad stories of teachers leaving their schools or departing the career. Knowing what traits, characteristics, and systems that promote math and science teacher retention would inform discussions about diversifying the STEM teaching profession and also enlighten schools and universities about approaches that could remedy long-standing shortages of math and science teachers.

If you are or know of any Black math or science teachers who might be interested in participating, I encourage you to pass this message along to them. Interested persons can email Kenya Overton at kenya.overton@uconn.edu or Dr. John Settlage at john.settlage@uconn.edu to provide their contact information. They will then follow-up with additional information about the study so they can make an informed decision about participating. 

Your assistance with promoting this study to potential participants is greatly appreciated. The challenges of diversifying the teaching workforce must attend to retention as much as to enticing new entrants into the profession. Your support assist in capturing the realities of STEM teacher turnover which will in turn inform practice and policy.

CCLM would like to invite you to register for our Winter Roundtable Event. Please see details below:

EVENT:  CCLM Winter 2024 Panel & Roundtable Event

WHEN:  Friday February 2, 2024 9:00-2:30

WHERE: Albertus Magnus College

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO REGISTER

Discussion Focus: The Essential Conditions identified in the Equity in Mathematics Education: A Joint Position Statement for Connecticut which was fully endorsed by the State Board of Education September 6, 2023.

In collaboration with Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Research and Reform in Education, The Math Learning Center (MLC) is seeking district partners for a research project involving our newest edition of Bridges in Mathematics Third Edition. As you may have heard,the latest edition of Bridges in Mathematics is designed to promote deep understanding of mathematical concepts, proficiency with key skills, and the ability to solve complex problems. During Bridges instruction, students are actively engaged as capable mathematical sensemakers, drawing upon their knowledge bases to support learning. Bridges also supports teachers in delivering engaging, rigorous, standards-based instruction while incorporating equitable and effective teaching practices.

The goals of the research project are to:

• Examine short-term and long-term program impacts of Bridges on student learning
• Understand educator implementation of Bridges
• Refine professional learning experiences for Bridges educators 

Benefits of the project include:

• Bridges curriculum kits for participating K-5 classrooms at no cost 
• Professional learning workshops at no cost
• Stipends for teacher participating in research activities
• Opportunities to give input on data collection instruments
• Sharing of findings through reports or presentations

To be eligible, districts must:

• Serve a diverse student population
• Have at least 13 elementary schools
• Are not currently using Bridges or Number Corner

Interested districts can learn more about the research project by completing the form at bit.ly/B3Research_Interest or by contacting MLC’s Director of Research, Emily Saxton, at emilys@mathlearningcenter.org.

Grades 6 & 7 mathematics teachers are invited to join a free online workshop about Visual Access to Mathematics, a professional learning course with a focus on English learners/multilingual learners (Els/MLs). This will take place on Monday, December 4, 2023 from 3:15 – 4:45 pm. This workshop will provide a sneak peak into the Visual Access to Mathematics professional learning course that will be offered starting in 2024. For more details and information on how to register, see the attached flyer.

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Defined Learning

The CSDE, in partnership with Defined, is providing an immersive and collaborative professional learning opportunity to engage educators in Defined Learning on December 6th from 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM EST at Ponus Ridge STEAM Academy. Click here for more information and to register.

Defined Learning is one of three components of the Defined ecosystem available to all CT districts at no cost. This immersive and collaborative experience brings together educators to introduce the Defined Learning resources and discuss best practices to utilize them in the classroom. Please bring a personal electronic device such as a laptop. All inquiries can be sent to Cheryl Tokarski at Cheryl.Tokarski@ct.gov.

Defined Careers

The CSDE, in partnership with Defined, is providing an immersive and collaborative professional learning opportunity to engage educators in Defined Careers on December 7th from 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM EST at Stamford Public Schools. Click here for more information and to register.

Defined Careers is one of three components of the Defined ecosystem available to all CT districts at no cost. This immersive and collaborative professional learning experience brings together school counselors and educators to deepen their understanding of how to utilize Defined Careers in the classroom, in advisory, and for career guidance. Please bring a personal electronic device such as a laptop. All inquiries can be sent to Cheryl Tokarski at Cheryl.Tokarski@ct.gov.

We are reaching out to current certified educators.  Starting in mid November, we will be offering weekly study / test preparation sessions for those of you interested in taking the Technology Education cross endorsement praxis test (5051).  We will accept only 20 participants.  Please consider your schedule, and commitments, and make sure you can fully participate.

Below are some important details:

Meeting Times:

The virtual study sessions will take place on these Tuesdays via Google Meet Link.

11/14, 11/21, 11/28, 12/5*

From 7:45 to 8:30 p.m.

Participants will be expected to study independently between these sessions, participate in the *12/5 asynchronous session and complete a *12/5 asynchronous exit slip.

Fee Reimbursement and Stipend

These fees are to be paid, upfront, by the participant. Upon providing a test registration receipt, the program will reimburse each participant:

• $200 stipend upon full participation in the program.
• $140 which includes funding to cover the majority of test preparation and test fees.
• $50 towards the cross endorsement application
• $50 towards the endorsement fee upon passing the test

These amounts will be issued with a w-9 on file.  We will clearly explain the timeline for stipend/reimbursements during our first workshop.

All receipts should be submitted in PDF format before March 15, 2023. No participant  requests will be processed after this date.

Test Information

The Technology Education 5051 test is available as an:

• AT HOME TEST.  Please see this LINK
• IN PERSON TEST.  Please see this LINK

Cross endorsement application and test scheduling will be the responsibility of the participant. Please do not schedule a test until your participation in the program is confirmed.

Application

If interested, please apply here or copy and paste into your browser: https://forms.gle/2ahai8p37SUgFPzu6

A confirmation will be issued by Thursday evening, November 9, 2023. 

Any questions, please contact CT STEM Academy at info@ctstemacademy.org

Calling all 9^th-12^th grade students! Join the Battelle Climate Challenge and be a catalyst for change. This is your opportunity to showcase your creativity and innovation and learn about climate change and resilience. Not only will you make a genuine impact, but you’ll also have the chance to learn from experts at our free Climate Resilience Webinar, score exciting prizes, and form connections with fellow sustainability enthusiasts. Don’t miss out on the chance to be a part of the solution. Sign up now and make a difference for our planet’s future! 

Challenge Info: If you are a 9-12th grade student in the United States, your challenge is to research past and future impacts of climate-related hazards in your community, including drought, wildfire, flooding, and extreme heat, then develop a proposed action to help build a more resilient community. Your entry must be original and include a written explanation of your proposed climate action (200 words max) and an image (max 3GB) of a “poster” that supports your climate action. The poster can be a digital design or a photo of a hand-made poster. Your climate action should explain at least one way your community can prevent, withstand, respond to, or recover from a climate-related event. The grand prize winner will present their poster at the Innovations in Climate Resilience Conference in Washington, D.C., and receive a $5,000 STEM grant for a U.S. nonprofit organization, public library, or public school. The 2nd – 5th place finalists will receive a $1,500 STEM grant for a U.S. nonprofit organization, public library, or public school.

The Elementary Master Computer Science Teacher Academy (EMTA) has been successful in CT schools for helping content K-5 teachers leverage CS concepts in their literacy, SEL, math etc. lessons. These teachers then go on to work with teachers in their buildings bridging concepts together to make learning fun and engaging for their students. Sacred Heart University’s CS-PLAN will by holding a hybrid workshop to help districts identify and develop teachers to become Master CS Coaches.  The first session begins November 10, 2023, and Scholarships are available. Attached please find the flyer and reach out to Susan Auchincloss atauchinclosss@sacredheart.edu

On November 3^rd, the Women in Bioinformatics Workshop will be hosted at SCSU Adanti Student Center Theatre.  Attached please find the event flyer.   You can also read more about it at:

https://go.southernct.edu/women-in-bioinformatics/ All who are interested are welcome to attend.   There will be 9 speakers from academia and industry.   Additionally, there will be a career mentoring session where panelists will answer questions about careers in bioinformatics.  The registration link is: https://form.jotform.com/232606076591054

The American Institutes for Research is conducting a study of Simulated Instruction in Mathematics Professional Development (SIM PD) program. They are seeking districts to join this professional learning opportunity developed for 4th and 5th grade math teachers.