UTRGV UTeach is the secondary teacher preparation program for science and mathematics majors at UTRGV. The program has offices, classroom space, faculty and staff, and a student workroom/instructional resource room on both campuses. The purpose of the program is to prepare highly qualified science and mathematics teachers according to the UTeach model developed at The University of Texas at Austin. During its five-year period as a replication grant, UTRGV UTeach graduated 92 students and in its fifth year surpassed all UTeach programs in the nation with an active enrollment of 485 students.
There is a critical need for highly qualified mathematics and science teachers in the lower Rio Grande Valley, across the state, and nationwide in the USA. To address this need and to improve the quality of mathematics and science education, the UTeach program was established in 1997 in the College of Natural Sciences at The University of Texas at Austin (http://www.uteach.utexas.edu/). UTeach offers a nationally recognized curriculum that uses innovative approaches and instruction specifically designed to train science and mathematics teachers. UTeach integrates a rigorous mathematics or science major, research experience, acquisition of effective teaching techniques, field teaching experience, and teacher certification within a four (4) year program. Since 1997, the UTeach program has expanded to 46 universities in 22 states and the District of Columbia.