NMSI’s UTeach Expansion Program Recognized by Business Roundtable Education Philanthropy Initiative

During their CEO quarterly meeting this past December, Business Roundtable released a report showing the impact that business philanthropy can have when strategically focused on education reforms that are working. The report, Investing in Results: How Business Roundtable is Supporting Proven Education Reforms, recognized the National Math and Science Initiative’s (NMSI) UTeach Expansion Program as one of five programs recommended for the Education Philanthropy Initiative.
 
Business Roundtable considered proven results and transparent metrics when reviewing educational programs for recommendation. The UTeach Expansion Program was recognized for its work to increase the production rate of highly-qualified math and science teachers.
 
NMSI’s UTeach Expansion Program replicates the UTeach program designed at the University of Texas at Austin to give undergraduate students the chance to earn a secondary teaching certification in addition to their science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) degree without adding time or expense to their four-year plan.  The goal is to provide our nation’s secondary schools with STEM teachers who have a deep understanding of the subjects they teach. 
 
The first cohort of 13 universities participating in the UTeach expansion produced 653 new STEM teachers between 2012 and 2014. Currently, 44 universities in 22 states and the District of Columbia are implementing the UTeach program and the number of highly-qualified STEM teachers being produced continues to grow.  An important part of the UTeach model is ensuring that these new STEM teachers stay in the classroom.  To support teacher retention, NMSI is using Business Roundtable member funding to provide training, resources, and mentoring to UTeach alumni.
 
Business Roundtable is an association of CEOs from leading U.S. companies that apply the expertise of their members to the major issues facing our nation.  As business leaders from every sector of the economy, they are committed to ensuring that all students are prepared to work and succeed so that America has a world-class, skilled workforce to lead global innovation. Programs recommended by the Education Philanthropy Initiative have already demonstrated results in producing greater numbers of highly qualified math and science teachers, advancing student reading and math proficiency, strengthening schools by improving leadership, and raising student test scores.  In 2015, ST Math, Success for All, New Teacher Center and the NISL's Executive Development Program for School Leaders were also recognized. More than $15 million of members’ education-related philanthropy was directed to recommended programs.