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Transition to Mathematics and Science Teaching
 T-MAST is an innovative, fast track, four semester graduate program for professionals who wish to transition into middle grade teaching that features:
- A master's degree with embedded certificate designed for completion in 4 semesters
- Accelerated, innovative classroom placement
- Cohort design to promote the development of a professional community
- One-year paid internship
- Active, multi-layered mentoring
- Ongoing mentoring after graduation
Objective : To create an effective national model for inducting second-career professionals from mathematics and science fields into the education of young adolescent students through a fast-track M.A. and innovative job-sharing experience
Program Features:
- Express-track second-career professionals into schools
- Research-based instructional strategies for effective mathematics or science teaching
- One-year paid experience
- Paid internship mentored by accomplished, practicing teacher and T-MAST faculty
- Ongoing mentoring after coursework ends
- Cohort group designed to promote development of a professional community
- Fellowships for student support
Paid Internship: The paid internship is one of the most innovative characteristics of T-MAST and will streamline the pathway for T-MAST scholars into the classroom. The T-MAST scholars will each teach during the day and attend graduate courses during the evening hours. The knowledge and skills acquired from graduate courses at UCF will be applied to their teaching in public middle schools.
Mentoring: Because sustained mentoring is crucially important for a new teacher during the first few years in the classroom, UCF mathematics and science education faculty members will supervise the T-MAST scholars in their classrooms, and they will be serving as mentors during the duration of the program, and support will continue one year after completion of the program.
Alignment with State and National Mandates: T-MAST is well-aligned with Governor Bush's Amendment 9 Implementation Plan to: streamline the teacher certification process to expedite certification of qualified individuals; and require districts to implement adjunct educator certification to expand the number of available teachers. The T-MAST partnership will be a national model for innovation in meeting both needs of science and mathematics education and President' Bush's "No Child Left Behind Act".
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