CAL TEACH at UC Irvine
Overview: The UC Irvine program was launched in winter quarter of 2006 by an
interdisciplinary group of faculty from mathematics, biology, chemistry, physics, earth science,
and education. In fall 2007, UCI was one of 13 tier-one research universities in the nation to
receive a $1.4 million grant from the National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI) Foundation,
with the objective of significantly expanding the UCI Cal Teach program to develop an
undergraduate single subject teacher credential program, modeled after the UTeach program at
UT Austin. To that end we have developed new STEM degree program options that include
undergraduate teacher preparation curricula to be taught by STEM and education faculty. We
have hired one new senate faculty member in the School of Biological Sciences and several
Master Teachers (lecturers) for our Cal Teach program, and the Department of Education was
awarded two additional FTE (not yet filled) for math or science education tenure-track positions.
UCI has also established a Cal Teach Resource and Advising Center, staffed by two full-time
student affairs officers.
Leadership Team: Deborah Vandell, Chair of Education; Al Bennett, Dean of Biological
Sciences; John Hemminger, Dean of Physical Sciences; Michael Leon, Associate Dean of
Biological Sciences, Co-Director Cal Teach Program and Co-Director NMSI Program; Ken
Janda, Associate Dean of Physical Sciences and Co-Director Cal Teach Program; Sue
Marshall, Department of Education, Co-Director Cal Teach Program and Co-Director NMSI
grant Program.
Faculty Involvement: Cal Teach Curriculum and Instruction Team representing nine
departments and twelve faculty members; SMI Advisory Council.
Curriculum Innovations: UCI has developed three introductory seminars with fieldwork in
elementary, middle, and high school classrooms (the CaT series) and ten additional
undergraduate courses that satisfy requirements for a single subject math or science teaching
credential. The teacher certification curricula is embedded in six new undergraduate STEM
degree programs: a) A bachelor’s degree combined with a concentration in secondary
education/teacher certification offered in chemistry, earth and environmental sciences, earth
and environmental studies, mathematics, and physics, and b) a bachelor’s degree in
biology/education.
Cal Teach Student Enrollment: As student participation and the number of courses offered
has expanded, the annual enrollment in Cal Teach curricula has grown from 66 in the program’s
first year to an anticipated enrollment of 220 in 2009-2010.
Cal Teach Student Diversity: In 2008-2009 Cal Teach student diversity was: Asian 55%;
White/Caucasian 19%; Hispanic 18%; African American 2%; American Indian 1%; other or
declined to state 5%.
External Funding Support: NSF Noyce STEM Teacher Scholarships ($500,000 awarded over
5 years, 2004-2009, and $900,000 over five years, 2009-2014); National Math and Science
Initiative ($1.4 million over five years); gift from Samueli Foundation ($95,000).