The University of Central Florida (UCF) has been awarded the Job-embedded Teacher Preparation Program Race to the Top grant from the Florida Department of Education. The University of Central Florida, in partnership with the Florida Virtual School, Lake County School District, Orange County Public Schools, Seminole County Public Schools, and Volusia County Schools, will prepare high-performing graduates with STEM degrees from 2008 to the present to teach mathematics and science in Florida's middle and high schools through the job-embedded project entitled Resident Teacher Professional Preparation Program (RTP³).

The purpose of the proposed initiative is to create an innovative job-embedded mathematics and science teacher preparation program that has goals that include:

(1) Raising mathematics and science achievement and career/college readiness of all 6-12 students by increasing the effectiveness of teacher preparation programs to better prepare teacher candidates through job-embedded preparation and induction, and

(2) Improving and innovating teacher preparation content, delivery, and performance measures in order to increase the number of effective mathematics and science teachers who are eligible for employment.

(3) recruiting, preparing, and supporting teacher candidates in mathematics and science to be effective during and after induction.

(4) Identifying and developing effective mentor teachers to support RTP³ resident teacher success.

(5) Designing the RTP³ teacher preparation program to include: a) integrated courses/mini modules, b) ongoing lesson study as reflective practice/professional learning, and c) use of existing and emerging technological solutions such as game/simulations for teaching and learning and incorporating TeachLIVE^TM.