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Overview

The California State University and Mathematics and Science Teacher Preparation

The California State University (CSU) has the capacity to build on its strengths in the fields of mathematics, science, engineering, technology, and teacher education to address the severe mathematics and science teacher shortage in the state of California. In 2004-05, CSU awarded 641 math, 2,298 biological sciences, and 584 physical sciences (chemistry, geosciences, and physics) undergraduate degrees. Although these are only some of the fields that are precursors to teaching credentials in mathematics, biological sciences, earth sciences, physics, and chemistry, they demonstrate CSU's ability to address the challenge.

Mathematics and Science Teacher Initiative

As a system, CSU's goal is to at least double the production of math and science teachers during the next five years. This means increasing from a baseline figure of approximately 750 new math and science teachers produced annually to a minimum of 1,500 new teachers produced in these fields.

CSU's Math and Science Teacher Initiative began during the past year through a planning process involving all of its 23 campuses. The CSU seven-part action plan is focused on meeting "one goal through diverse pathways." Each campus is committed to a specific plan based on regional needs and characteristics that identifies a numerical goal for increased credential production and specifies how it will be reached. Campus plans include a broad range of promising approaches.