Robert Noyce Scholarship Program

Overview

The Teacher Education Program is excited to announce a new initiative to place a cohort of its math and science graduates in teaching positions in the Boston Public Schools (BPS).

The program, which is being funded for three years by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and is named for Robert Noyce, the founder of Intel, will provide financial support for up to 14 of TEP's math and science students per year. These “Noyce Scholars” will receive a $10,000 stipend to be used during their 11 months in the Teacher Education Program, which will include a teaching internship in a Boston middle or high school. In return, the scholars will commit to teach for at least two years in Boston upon successful completion of their teacher certification through TEP.

Participants in the program will continue to receive training at the Ed School during their initial years in the classroom. This will consist of monthly support seminars, including content-specific instruction offered by faculty in Harvard's Division of Engineering and Applied Sciences and the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Mathematics Department.

The funding is available for the next three TEP cohorts: 2006-2007, 2007-2008 and 2008-2009.

How to Apply

The first step is to simply apply for admission to the 2006-2007 Teacher Education Program. All of TEP's math and science applicants will be eligible for the Noyce award. Shortly after the TEP application deadline, these applicants will be contacted and invited to submit an additional letter explaining their interest in teaching in Boston.

Math and science applicants who meet TEP's admissions criteria and have expressed interest in the Noyce program will be asked to participate in an interview with a representative from BPS. TEP and BPS will then jointly select a cohort of Noyce Scholars by late April/early May.

The Benefits

What does a Noyce Scholar receive?

• A $10,000 stipend, paid out in two $5,000 installments during their year of training in TEP.
• A “Letter of Commitment for Employment” from BPS' Office of Human Resources. This letter ensures that Noyce Scholars will be among the pool of candidates who are given first consideration for job openings in BPS, provided they meet certain conditions. Please visit the Noyce Job Placement section for more details.
• Placement in a Boston middle or high school for a yearlong teaching internship. While all TEP students complete internships in local school, Noyce Scholars will have the benefit of training in the same district where they will ultimately work.
• On-going support during their first two years of teaching in Boston. In addition to the new teacher support services, mentoring and professional development opportunities offered by BPS, Noyce Scholars will also receive additional professional development in their content area. TEP is working with faculty from Harvard's Division of Engineering and Applied Sciences and the Department of Mathematics to offer content specific seminars that will provide opportunities for the Noyce Scholars to acquire and share new curricular resources as they begin their teaching careers.

Eligibility

As mentioned in the How to Apply section, all of TEP's math and science applicants for the next three admissions cycles (2006-2008) will be eligible for the Noyce award. Applicants must first meet TEP's admissions criteria before being considered for the next phase of the Noyce selection process: an interview with Boston Public Schools.

Additionally, the National Science Foundation requires that all Noyce awardees have a bachelors, masters, or doctoral degree in science, technology, engineering or mathematics. TEP will consider math and science applicants for admission who don't have a degree in one of these fields, but have completed substantial coursework that demonstrates the breadth and depth of their content expertise. However, applicants who are interested in the Noyce award must have majored in one of the fields listed above.

Noyce Scholars must be either United States citizens or nationals, or permanent resident aliens.

Job Placement in Boston

There is a tremendous need for talented, well prepared math and science teachers to serve Boston's middle and high school students. In response to this need, TEP has partnered with the Boston Public Schools to offer the Noyce Award exclusively to our graduates who are committed to teaching in this district.

The selection process for the Noyce Award is closely integrated with BPS' process for screening new teacher candidates. Thus, BPS is in a position to make conditional employment commitments to TEP's math and science candidates well over a year before they begin their full time teaching assignments. Noyce Scholars will receive a “Letter of Commitment for Employment” from BPS, which guarantees a teaching position provided that candidates meet the following conditions: (1) successful completion of all Initial licensure requirements, including TEP course and field work and obtaining passing scores on both sections of the Massachusetts Test for Educator Licensure; (2) successful participation in a school-based interview process; (3) acceptance of an offer of a teaching position; and (4) completion of hiring paperwork, including a Criminal Offender Record Information screening.

Throughout the spring and summer of 2007, BPS' Office of Human Resources will keep the Noyce Scholars informed about available math and science positions in the district. The Scholars will be invited to interview with individual school principals, who have the final say in all hiring decisions.

To learn more about teaching in Boston, including salary information, professional development opportunities and other benefits, visit http://www.bostonpublicschools.org/jobs/teaching.asp.

See Press Release