At the heart of our current research lies a critical national challenge: how can we build and maintain a diverse STEM teacher workforce? Our team is diving deep into understanding the complex factors that influence teacher retention, with a particular focus on how Research-Practice Partnerships support Noyce Scholars in high-need schools serving racially and culturally non-dominant communities.

Our investigation centers on three key components of the Noyce program: teacher preparation, induction/mentoring, and professional development. We're particularly interested in how the collaborative nature of these components affects scholars' persistence in high-need schools. What makes our approach unique is our examination of how race, racism, and power dynamics intersect with these program elements, shaping teachers' experiences and their decisions to remain in the profession.

Our initial findings from 33 survey respondents—including current scholars, practicing teachers, and those who have transitioned to other roles—have revealed fascinating insights into three critical dimensions: belonging, culturally responsive pedagogy (CRP), and professional racial self-efficacy.

Key preliminary findings include:

• A significant shift in belonging patterns as teachers transition from preparation to classroom teaching, with 21% of scholars experiencing a decline in their sense of belonging
• Initial data suggesting scholars of color experienced lower levels of belonging during teacher preparation compared to their white counterparts
• A notable trend in CRP, where 64% of scholars showed an expected adjustment in their perceived dispositions once becoming teachers of record
• Decreasing trends in professional racial self-efficacy, particularly among male scholars and across racial groups, as they transition into teaching roles

These early results validate the importance of our research approach and highlight the critical need to understand how diverse identities influence teaching careers. Research shows that when teachers and students share similar backgrounds, student achievement can increase, particularly in historically resilient communities.

The study spans several Noyce projects, allowing us to explore how scholars' experiences serving in racially and culturally non-dominant communities interact with their individual preparation and development journeys. We're especially focused on understanding the role of partnerships – whether between STEM departments and education colleges, between teacher preparation programs and high-need school districts, or with other stakeholders – in supporting teacher retention.

As we continue to examine findings from our survey results, we're deepening our understanding of how partnership quality influences teacher persistence. These insights will help inform teacher education programs and schools about effective strategies for recruitment, program design, and professional learning support—ultimately contributing to greater diversity and effectiveness in the STEM teacher workforce.

As our research project moves into its next phase, we're excited to share our roadmap for the coming year. With our scholar survey data collection nearing completion, we're preparing to dive into a rich period of analysis and discovery that will shape our understanding of effective teacher preparation and retention strategies.

A key milestone in our upcoming work will be the launch of our Partner Survey in late 2024. This survey will engage faculty and staff working in Noyce Programs whose scholars participated in our initial survey, providing crucial insights into the institutional perspective of these partnerships. This dual-lens approach—examining both scholar experiences and program implementation—will help us build a more complete picture of successful teacher preparation strategies.

Our research will then transition into a more focused, qualitative phase. We'll be conducting in-depth interviews with program partners to understand their partnership structures, followed by targeted interviews with scholars to explore how specific partnership components have influenced their teaching journeys. These conversations will help us uncover the nuanced ways that program elements support teacher persistence and retention.

We're also looking forward to sharing our findings with the broader education research community. Our team will present "STEM Teacher Persistence: Teacher Preparation Programs that Support Identity and Belonging" at the 2025 NARST Annual International Conference in Washington DC. Additional presentations are planned for the 2025 NOYCE Summit, where we'll discuss our survey findings and their implications for STEM teacher preparation and retention.

Through these comprehensive approaches—from survey analysis to case studies to community engagement—we aim to contribute meaningful insights that can help shape more effective and inclusive STEM teacher preparation programs. Our goal remains clear: to support and sustain a diverse STEM teacher workforce that can inspire the next generation of students.