Updated on: September 6, 2018

- Check out a webinar about this team's work. 
- Download the write-up of this team's final project, a diagnostic tool and set of resources that supports educator prep programs and school systems to be better partners. You can also click directly to this team's online tool here.

This Project Team worked to develop a web-based toolkit and partnership inventory to help Teacher Preparation programs better meet the needs of the K-12 schools in their region. Members include National Math and Science Initiative, Public Education & Business Coalition, Western Governors University, American Modeling Teachers Association, and EnCorps STEM Teachers.

Teaching is local. More than 90% of teachers teach within 10 miles of where they grew up or went to college. Yet rarely do teacher preparation programs and districts connect to ensure that there is alignment between what K-12 schools need, and how teachers are being prepared, and in what subjects. Many states and districts are experiencing shortages and are unable to offer the full suite of STEM courses to their students.

This Project Team examined challenges and best practices in enabling a more regional approach to addressing STEM teacher shortages to ensure that teacher preparation programs are preparing the kinds of teachers needed by the K-12 schools in their regions. This team then created a web-based tool to better meet regional demand for STEM educators.