Arkansas Noyce Scholar and future teacher Michael "Shane" Carey (Class of 2009, center) works with undergraduates Stephen Brinson and Mark Blanko in an introductory physics class.
"If you want to make a difference in the life of our nation; if you want to make a difference in the life of a child - become a teacher. Your country needs you."
A high-need school is defined very broadly for the PhysTEC Noyce Scholarship program. A high-need school is any school in a district that has at least one school with a high fraction of students eligible for free or reduced lunch, a high teacher attrition rate, or a high rate of out-of-field teachers. In general we will use the definitions used by the NSF in the past, which are that a school must have 50% of students eligible for free or reduced lunch, a 15% teacher attrition rate over the past three years, or a 34% out-of-field teaching rate. However, exceptions can be made to these benchmarks on a case-by-case basis, by petition.
The following table shows some high-need districts in the vicinity of the six PhysTEC Noyce sites. For other examples of eligible districts, please speak with your local contact person.
| Site | High-need Districts | |||
| Arkansas | Fayetteville | Sprindale | Rogers | Fort Smith |
| Ball State | Muncie Community | Marion Community | Richmond Community | Indianapolis |
| Cornell | Rochester | Utica | Syracuse | Romulus |
| North Carolina | Charlotte-Mecklenburg | Wake County | Asheville | |
| Seattle Pacific | Seattle | Tacoma | Bellevue | |
| Western Michigan | Kalamazoo | Battle Creek | Benton Harbor | |
High-Need Verification
PhysTEC Noyce scholars must verify their employment at a school in a high-need district by providing a verification letter. A template is provided (below) and is to be completed by a district official. A letter must be provided for each academic year until the teaching obligation is fulfilled.