About TUteach

In 2005, the National Academies published “Rising Above The Gathering Storm: Energizing and Employing America for a Brighter Economic Future.” The report increased public awareness of a growing problem; gravely declining science and math skills among American students. Among the causes; about a third of high school math students and two-thirds of those enrolled in physical science have teachers who did not major in the subject in college or are not certified to teach it.

Following recommendations in the report, the National Math and Science Initiative, a public-private partnership that counts Exxon Mobil, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation among its supporters, funded a major expansion of the highly successful UTeach Institute program. Temple University’s TUteach program was one of 13 from around the U.S. selected to receive a NMSI grant and become part of the UTeach Institute.

A collaboration of the College of Science and Technology and the College of Education, TUteach builds on UTeach Austin’s ten years of success producing teachers with the experience and academic preparation necessary to become great science and math teachers. The program offers early and intensive public classroom experiences that span all four years, scholarships and internships, experience Master and Mentor Teachers, strong collaboration with public schools and a 2-year, post-program professional development and support network.

TUteach students earn 25 education credits in addition to their major study in Biology, Chemistry, Earth and Space Science, General Science, Mathematics or Physics. They spend significant portions of their 4 years in the program practice teaching in the Temple area, starting with their first two education classes freshman or sophomore year. TUteach graduates have the experience to easily find teaching jobs upon graduation as well as the option of using their science or math degree to work in the corporate, public or higher education spheres.

The results at the original UTeach Austin site have been remarkable. 90 percent of UTeach students that receive certification go on to teach immediately, compared to the national average of fifty percent. 80 percent of those who enter teaching are still teaching four years after starting, compared with 60 percent nationally. Almost half of graduates teach in schools where more than 40 percent of students receive free or reduced price lunch. The number of graduating certified math and science teachers at UT Austin has more than doubled.

TUteach intends to reproduce these results in the Philadelphia region with the help of the UTeach Institute and the National Math and Science Initiative.

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