FARMINGTON — The University of Maine at Farmington has announced two new teacher education programs in undergraduate and graduate education that will help provide new pathways for educators to reach their professional goals while helping to meet Maine’s need for qualified teachers.

Both programs, a Master’s of Science in Education in Mathematics Education and a Bachelor’s of Science in School Health Education: Physical Education Concentration, were recently approved by the University of Maine System board of trustees and will be available January 2021.

UMF’s unique, new Master of Science in Education – Mathematics Education program is designed to prepare educators to deliver effective mathematics instruction to all students and offer leadership to innovate in the practice. Developed with multiple pathways, the program will grow the capacity of Maine schools to support the mathematics skills necessary to strengthen both student outcomes and Maine’s economy.

With a focus on leadership, the program will prepare educators with the critical training to provide students, individual schools and system-level educational organizations with advanced mathematics education and support.

UMF’s MSEd in Mathematics Education was created with a two-fold purpose, to help educators become leaders in mathematics education and to create a pathway for college graduates with a strong mathematics background to become middle or secondary mathematics teachers.

Thirty-three credits are needed to complete the degree program. These include core courses and those for specialization. All courses will be delivered online or in UMF’s 70/30 hybrid format. Nine of the graduate credits are in mathematics and are specifically focused on the development of key mathematics content across prekindergarten to grade 12.

The new program is an addition to Farmington’s graduate mathematics education offerings, including graduate certificates in mathematics coaching, mathematics intervention and mathematics leadership. These certificates are designed to provide students with the strategies and knowledge that will deepen their expertise and prepare educators for the challenges of being a mathematics leader.

For more information, contact Erin Connor, associate dean for UMF Graduate and Continuing Education, at erin.l.connor@maine.edu or visit https://www.umf.maine.edu/grad-studies/m-s-ed-in-mathematics-education/.

The new UMF Bachelors Program in School Health Education: Physical Education Concentration, offers students the opportunity to earn kindergarten to grade 12 teacher certification in school health education while completing coursework in physical education that meets state requirements. Students can achieve certification in physical education upon passing the Physical Education Praxis exam and having a year’s experience teaching physical education.

The combination will help meet the changing needs of rural school districts in Maine, where teachers are often required to teach both school health and physical education.

The program is in close collaboration with the University of Maine at Presque Isle. Building on existing resources at both campuses, the innovative partnership will feature UMPI faculty providing Farmington students with physical education coursework through online delivery. Those courses may include teaching elementary and secondary physical education, motor learning and adaptive phys. ed.

The collaborative partnership will make it possible, for the first time, for Maine students to take the coursework for both school health education and physical education while studying on a single University of Maine System campus.

For more information, contact Maurice Martin, professor of UMF Community Health, at Maurice.martin@maine.edu or visit https://www.umf.maine.edu/academics/programs/school-health-education-phys-ed/.