Ellis Puts Scholarship First- $1.2M NSF Grant to Recruit and Prepare Future STEM Teachers

At the center of the Lutrill & Pearl Payne School of Education is the desire to prepare LSU students to educate the young minds of Louisiana to ensure their future successes.

Joshua Ellis, PhD, Associate Professor of Science/STEM Education in the Lutrill & Pearl Payne School of Education, is a member of an LSU faculty team that has been awarded a $1,187,387 grant from the National Science Foundation for the preparation of future STEM teachers.

This significant award will support the team’s efforts to recruit, prepare, and retain highly qualified teachers of mathematics and science in the state of Louisiana. 

"I'm honored to receive this award grant from NSF and excited by what our team will be able to accomplish with it,” Ellis said. “This award grant recognizes the unique strengths of LSU's GeauxTeach STEM teacher preparation program and provides us the opportunity to pursue an even more ambitious vision for preparing highly qualified mathematics and science teachers for Louisiana's K-12 schools.”

The project aims to serve the national need of recruiting and preparing a diverse population of expert STEM teachers who are equipped to thrive in high-needs schools and improve student-learning there. 

The team plans to apply the latest research on how mentoring relationships shape students' experiences, career trajectories, and competencies in professional work to STEM-teacher preparation. The first step will be to implement robust new recruiting efforts that invite applicants from historically underrepresented populations and initiate and sustain productive mentoring relationships. 

Ellis and team will also prepare prospective teachers to lead STEM learning in ways that respond to students' backgrounds and unique experiences. This project will pilot and refine an effective teacher professional development model based on a combination of mentoring, experiential learning, and integrated STEM learning. 

Successful implementation will result not only in the preparation and placement of teachers in schools that struggle to hire top-tier STEM teachers, benefitting local communities, but will also help to establish new models for the effective preparation of STEM teachers that may be valuable nationally.

The LSU research team consists of:

• James Madden (PI, College of Science)
• Zakiya Wilson-Kennedy (Co-PI, College of Science)
• Joshua Ellis (Co-PI, CHSE)
• Stephanie Givens (Co-PI, College of Science)

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About CHSE 
The College of Human Sciences & Education (CHSE) is a nationally accredited division of Louisiana State University. The college is comprised of the School of Education, the School of Information Studies, the School of Kinesiology the School of Leadership & Human Resource Development, and the School of Social Work. CHSE has two model demonstration schools, the Early Childhood Education Laboratory Preschool, enrolling birth to age four and the University Laboratory School enrolling Kindergarten through grade 12. The college also has four centers and institutes: the Early Childhood Education Institute, the Healthy Aging Research Center, the Leadership Development Institute, and Social Research & Evaluation Center. The college is committed to achieving the highest standards in teaching, research, and service and is committed to improving quality of life across the lifespan. 
Visit the College of Human Sciences & Education website.
 
About the LSU Lutrill & Pearl Payne School of Education (SOE) 
A school of the College of Human Sciences & Education, the SOE offers undergraduate programs for students who want to pursue a career as a pre-kindergarten through 12th grade teacher or acquire dual certification in both traditional elementary and special education classrooms. In addition, SOE offers 3 graduate certificates, 17 master’s degree program areas, 9 EdS certificate programs, and 2 PhD degrees in 11 areas of focus. SOE’s focus is not only on preparing highly qualified teachers but also in preparing educational leaders, curriculum studies scholars, educational technology experts, applied researchers, higher education professionals, school counselors, and clinical mental health counselors. SOE specializes scholarly expertise regarding pressing educational and wellness issues across the entire lifespan.  
Visit the LSU Lutrill and Pearl Payne School of Education website.