NCQuest Program Philosophy

The mission of NC Quest is to unite a coalition of educators, including UNCW Education and College of Arts faculty partnered with public school educators, to build the capacity to train, retain and approve the professional renewal and commitment of quality middle school math and science teachers, and teacher mentors.

NC Quest seeks to fulfill this mission through the development of a leadership network that assists teachers and mentor teachers in developing the knowledge, skills and reflective practices congruent with the National Board Teaching Standards and related regional, state, and national reports and initiatives, and certification processes.

Strand 1 (Middle School Math and Science Teachers) builds upon successful strategies utilized at the state and regional level through content and pedagogy support offered through the Mathematics and Science Education Network. Similarly, Strand 1 is consistent with the North Carolina Infrastructure for Science Education (NC-ISE) program which is a systematic statewide effort to assist local school systems in implementing research-based science and mathematics with hands-on, inquiry-based science aligned with the North Carolina Standard Course of Study. The content and pedagogy to be taught to participants will be consistent with the national learned societies: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, and the National Science Teachers Association.

Strand II (Middle School Mentor Teachers - Not available this semester) focuses on development of mentors to support beginning teachers. The activities in this strand are consistent with the State Board of Education’s Strategic Priority #3: Quality Teachers, Administrators, and Staff. Recent State Board and Professional Development Committee reports stress the importance of quality professional development and support for beginning teachers. UNCW faculty have been involved in mentor training since developing initial training modules in 1986-87.

The NC Quest project reflects both UNCW’s historical commitment to teacher and mentor training through coalition partnerships, and current national and state teaching standards and initiatives by offering participants an authentic, learner-centered educational experience.