Adapting Messages and Materials for Multiple Communities: Using Teacher Recruitment Materials With Integrity

To address the well-documented shortage of mathematics teachers, the Get the Facts Out (GFO) Project was formed to change the narrative around teaching by using data and tested messaging to increase pathways into STEM teaching. The authors saw the recruitment materials as an adaptable set of tools to better fit the needs and contexts of our stakeholders and audience members, including mathematics teacher educators (MTEs), college students, and K–12 mathematics teachers. This article outlines principles that guided the authors as they designed and adapted these innovative materials to reflect the needs of multiple communities. The process serves as an innovation for MTEs. Findings include the following: (a) adapting materials involves renegotiating both the rules and the nature of the materials with those who designed them; (b) acknowledging individual challenges in interpreting instruments is essential for audience engagement; and (c) balancing fidelity to the intended design of the materials with integrity in meeting community needs is critical for effective use.