The NextGen-WA STEM Teacher Preparation Project is a statewide collaboration to improve the preparation of teachers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math across Washington state, with funding from 2016 to 2021.

We are committed to systemic change to teacher preparation programs across Washington State, and are working to ensure that every K-12 student has an inspirational STEM learning experience; our vision is a larger, more diverse, and more effective STEM teaching workforce.

We are working toward a future where all teachers:

  • Understand and connect with diverse students, families and communities
  • Incorporate Education for Sustainability, Computer Science, and Engineering principles in their teaching
  • Regularly collaborate with colleagues in the creation of and advocacy for a connected, coherent, STEM program
  • Approach curriculum through inter- or trans- disciplinary lenses; have the ability to work across disciplinary boundaries
  • Incorporate, integrate, and model disciplinary practices, concepts and specific ideas (3-dimensional teaching)
  • Have strong content and pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) in the subjects they teach
  • Have had research and/or work experiences in at least one aspect of STEM

The NextGen-WA STEM Teacher Preparation Project coordinated the work of 8 Inter-Institutional Working Groups and several Institutional Implementation Teams working to build this future.

Working Groups collaborated around specific dimensions of Teacher Preparation, and prepared tools, resources, workshops and other means to support institutional transformation at their own, and others', institutions. Working Group members include faculty and administrators from public and private colleges throughout Washington; staff from government labs, industry and non-profits; and K-12 teachers and administrators. Working Group products were designed in collaboration with Implementation Teams.

Implementation Teams are centered at Teacher Preparation programs at colleges and universities. Many Implementation Team members also participated in Working Groups. Implementation Teams determined and implemented the strategies that are appropriate to their specific contexts, measured and evaluated the impact of strategies, and made appropriate adjustments to implementation.



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NSF Logo This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation's Division of Undergraduate Education under Grant No. 1625566. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.


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