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Six Alabama universities brief State Board on UTeach rollout to boost STEM teacher production
Summary
Representatives from six Alabama universities told the State Board of Education they are preparing UTeach programs aimed at increasing the number of graduating STEM teachers; universities requested permission to begin building programs under the department's innovative-status process and gave timelines and production targets.
Representatives from Alabama A&M University, Athens State University, Auburn University, Auburn University at Montgomery (AUM), the University of South Alabama and the University of West Alabama told the State Board of Education during a work session that each campus is preparing to implement the UTeach curriculum to recruit and prepare more K—2 teachers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
The presentations described a common curriculum model, local adaptations, timelines and production targets. Lena Walton, dean of the College of Education, Humanities and Behavioral Sciences at Alabama A&M University, said Alabama A&M will call its program AAMUTeach and expects to begin the curriculum in the fall, with a planning period earlier in the year. Walton said the program will not add credits to graduation requirements and that the university has budgeted to cover 75% of tuition for the UTeach 1-credit orientation course to encourage student enrollment.
The UTeach model at Alabama A&M and other campuses pairs a content degree in a STEM field with a concentrated teaching pathway rather than a separate added certification. "We are recruiting from every area and encouraging students to stay in Alabama," Walton said, adding that the program emphasizes educating "the most vulnerable students" the university serves.
Athens State interim dean Katie Hall said Athens State will deliver UTeach in an upper-division model tied to community college partners through memoranda of understanding. The university set an enrollment goal of about 50 new students. Auburn University presenters said AUTeach will operate as a double-major model so candidates receive a full major in their STEM field and a parallel pedagogical program; Auburn aims to recruit roughly 50 students per year in the science majors and projects about 200 candidates by the end of four years in exploratory courses.
AUM, South Alabama and West Alabama described similar plans: AUM expects to produce more than 100 graduates in five years and is partnering with Montgomery public schools and STEM labs for field experiences; South Alabama reported 16 students already enrolled in step-1 exploratory coursework and set a four-year goal to graduate 30 certified STEM teachers beginning in 2025'1; West Alabama described efforts to adapt UTeach for online students and to offer weekend in-person sessions for hands-on work.
Dr. Alethia Hampton of the State Department of Education's Division of Teaching and Leading said the six institutions share the same UTeach curriculum and are seeking permission to begin program development under the department's innovative-status pathway. Dr. Meadows (department staff supporting UTeach rollout) confirmed the presentations were requests to start program development, not final approvals of innovative status.
Board members asked about timelines and production goals. Alabama A&M and several campuses said they hope to have possible graduates within two years for some upper-division recruits and to operate a full four-year build-out for freshmen-to-senior sequencing; several campuses also discussed "quick start" options for upperclassmen. Presenters emphasized on-campus advising, master teachers and campus-level support structures that UTeach sites typically provide.
Speakers noted statewide scale if all sites proceed: department staff said the combined, fully implemented network of UTeach sites in Alabama could produce roughly 215 new science and math teachers per year after implementation, a number that includes UAB's existing program.
Board members and department staff closed the item by confirming the presentations were preliminary requests to begin building programs and that each program will return for formal department approval of innovative status and for any necessary university and board-level actions.
Ending The Board received the presentations for information and the universities will proceed with program development pending the department's innovative-status review and formal approvals. Department staff said they will follow up on board members' questions and will return with any required recommendations when the programs seek final approval.
