A Partnership with the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill School of Education

In 2007, the Center for Teaching Quality and the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill (UNC-CH) School of Education forged a partnership to create the Leadership Center for Math and Science Teachers (LC-MaST). The Center’s mission was to build abilities and leadership among mathematics and science teachers in under-resourced communities and assist them in achieving National Board Certification. To achieve this mission, LC-MaST developed six strategic goals:

•    To support the recruitment and development of mathematics and science teachers through programs at UNC-CH School of Education;
•    To support in-service teachers in high-needs schools to become National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs) through Take One! and other pedagogical models;
•    To create statewide professional learning communities both online and face-to-face with all mathematics and science NBCTs and other teachers in high-needs schools;
•    To support in-service mathematics and science teachers to become instructional leaders in their schools, region and the state;
•    To research and implement best practices for effectively involving NBCTs in furthering the Center’s core mission; and
•    To help high-needs schools recruit and retain new teachers of mathematics and science.

Building on the research expertise of the UNC-CH School of Education and the virtual learning platform created by the Center for Teaching Quality, LC-MaST focused its activities on developing a robust research and evaluation structure to measure the success of the program while building capacity among mathematics and science NBCTs to serve as teacher leaders. While activities of LC-MaST have ended, CTQ gained key lessons learned about the importance of cultivating teacher leadership and spreading pedagogical expertise, which are now being implemented through other NBCT Leadership projects at the Center.