A Clean Slate Approach to High School CS Jan Cuny 7/6/2010

Where do we stand?

Plummeting Interest in CS College Board, 2009 Since 2001 Total AP test takers up almost 52% AP CS test takers down almost 54%

College Board, 2008 In ,527 students took AP CS A 222,835 Calculus AB 154,504 Bio 108,284 Statistics

Plummeting CS Enrollments CRA Taulbee Survey, 2008

Future trend?

Where the Jobs Are

Significant Underproduction of Degrees - 20,000 40,000 60,000 80, , , , ,000 EngineeringPhysical SciencesMathematical/ Computer Sciences Biological/ Agricultural Sciences PhD Master's Bachelor's Projected Job Openings John Sargent, US Department of Commerce, 2004 Degree Production vs. Projected Job Openings ( )

College Board, 2008 Gender Gap AP CS A had the worst gender balance of any of the AP tests 18.6% CS A 48.6% Calculus AB 50.7% Statistics

Missing 70% CRA Taulbee Survey, 2007/2008

Parity Line: 50% CPST, 2008

Parity Line: 28%

CS & IT Engineering Life Sciences Mathematics Physical Sci Psychology Social Sci Percentage Change in Percentage of Women and URM’s Obtaining Associate’s, Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctorate Degrees Source: National Center for Education Statistics, Digest of Education Statistics Behind National the Trends

Missing 70% is a Loss Opportunity for individuals Talent for the workforce Creativity needed to maintain global competitiveness

… If I bring you a batch of resumes where everybody's name is Smith, you're bound to ask me why I think only people named Smith can do the job. You're going to wonder, “Aren't there any Joneses out there?” David Cornwell, March 1988 URMs and the NFL

URMs and CS&E Our profession is diminished and impoverished by a lack of diversity … the range of design options considered in a team lacking diversity will be smaller … It's that the product that serves a broader international customer base, or a segment of this nation's melting pot, or our handicapped, may not be found. It is that the most elegant solution may never be pursued. William Wulf, NAE, 1998

Why High School?

1.Things are really bad there. 2.Without the HS piece, anything we do for middle school will be lost. 3. Without the HS piece, anything we do at the college level will be insufficient.

Why focus on AP?  Often the only CS course that carries college prep credit  Attractive to students & schools  2,000 CB-audited teachers  Single point of national leverage

What’s wrong with the current AP course?  Doesn’t appeal to many students (particularly women and minorities)  Inaccessible to students without previous experience  Fails to introduce the fundamental concepts of CT  Doesn’t teach the breadth of application or “magic” of computing

Math and Science in U.S. High Schools (NRC, 2002)  AP courses should Reflect what we know about how students learn Build students’ transferable, conceptual understanding and inquiry skills Convey the content and unifying concepts of a discipline  AP courses should not be designed solely to replicate introductory college courses (which are not typically exemplary models)

Chemistry, Biology, Physics, and Environmental Science are leading the way. (ESI )

Duane Bailey (Williams College) Tiffany Barnes (UNC Charlotte) Gail Chapman (CSTA) Tom Cortina (CMU) Stephen Edwards (VA Tech) Dan Garcia (UC Berkeley) Joanna Goode (UO) Susanne Hambrusch (Purdue) Michelle Hutton (The Girls MS, CA) Deepak Kumar (Bryn Mawr) Jim Kurose (UMass) Andrea Lawrence (Spelman) Richard Pattis (UC Irvine) Eric Roberts (Stanford) Katie Siek (CU) Beth Simon (UCSD) Larry Snyder (UW) Lynn Andrea Stein (Oiln) Fan Trees (Drew) Cameron Wilson (ACM) Owen Astrachan (Duke) Stacey Armstrong (Cypress Woods HS, TX) Amy Briggs (Vermont) Mark Guzdial (Georgia tech) Rick Kick (Newberry Park HS, CA) Jodi Paul (Metropolitan St College of Denver) Chris Stephenson (CSTA) Commission Advisory Committee

AP CSP Big Ideas 95/5% Rule 1. Computing is a creative human activity that engenders innovation and promotes exploration. 2. Abstraction reduces information and detail to focus on concepts relevant to understanding and problem solving. 3. Data and information facilitate the creation of knowledge.

AP CSP Big Ideas 95/5% Rule 6. Algorithms are tools for developing and expressing solutions to computational problems. 7. Programming is a creative process that produces computational artifacts. 8. Digital devices, systems and the networks that interconnect them enable and foster computational approaches to solving problems.

AP CSP Big Ideas 95/5% Rule 9. Computing enables innovations in other fields including science, social science, humanities, arts, medicine, engineering, and business.

AP CSP  Engaging, accessible, inspiring, rigorous  Focused on the fundamental concepts of computing (CT)  Not programming-centric  A target for K-9 course development ; An impetus for college curriculum reform  Available nationwide (IB as well)

AP CSP Pilots  University of Washington (Python)  Berkeley (BYO Scratch)  UCSD (Scratch)  Metropolitan State College of Denver (Alice)  UNC Charlotte (Gaming)

What’s before AP CSP? Define a framework Pick exemplars Provide materials ECS Team at LAUSD

Not an AP fan? Other models, like dual credit or a single senior year course? Mix and match available curricular materials

The new AP course will be coming to a school near you in 2014 … Getting it taught, well

10,000 Teachers / 10,000 Schools  In-service preparation  Pre-service preparation  Ongoing professional development  Entrée into schools

What can you do?

Help us to Change the Storyline

Dot Diva

Help us to Change the Storyline Computer scientists are geeky nerds. Programming allows you to do really cool things. Programming is not cool. Computing doesn’t benefit society.Computing is changing the world in exciting ways. Computer scientists are creative people who like to solve problems.

What can you do?  Follow Joanne’s advice (coming up)  Join CSTA  Work on advocacy in your state  Offer ECS or pilot AP CSP at your school  Form partnerships with university faculty, students, and programs  Join National Lab Day

National Lab Day

Thanks! Jan Cuny Camsie Matis