Gail Chapman, UCLA April 19,

Research and Philosophy of ECS 2

Research Leading to ECS  What is computer science, anyway?  Course offerings vary between schools  Computing courses have no academic home  Culture of low expectations around computing knowledge  Little curricular connections with students’ experiences  Counselors need information  Teachers need support  Students have interest! 3

 Issues that are often missing from the conversation —  Schools with high numbers of students of color tend to have low-level courses, such as keyboarding. (At the time only 11 out of 57 high schools in LAUSD offered AP CS.).  Counselors don’t steer girls and students of color to cs.  The privilege of having access at home is seen as an indicator of ability while those without such access get kept out.

Broadening Participation in Computing for Underrepresented Students 5

Democratizing CS Education  Rather than focus our attention on the traditional pipeline issues, we have chosen to approach this as an equity issue.  As a community we argue that the ability to think computationally is an essential 21 st century skill—so we need to prepare all students to have this fundamental knowledge to be able to fully participate in society.  If more students are given these opportunities a side effect should be a natural enrichment of the pipeline.

How do we make this happen?  Availability of courses for all students in all schools—  Build courses at all schools, so that any student who desires to access this knowledge can do so, whether or not the students are college bound.  Curriculum and assessment—  Tailored towards students in meaningful ways  Developed to highlight the multiple ways of knowing and learning that students bring to classrooms.  Teachers—  Must be supported in developing an inclusive inquiry based pedagogy that is effective for engaging girls and students of color.

ECS as a Model for CS Reform 8

Model of CS Education Reform Curriculum Teachers & Pedagogy Policy 9

ECS Equitable Learning Model Inquiry Teaching & Learning Equity & Classroom Culture CS Concepts 10

ECS Curriculum and PD 11

The ECS Curriculum  Creative nature of computing  Technology as a tool for solving problems  Relevance of computer science and its impact on society 12

ECS Instructional Units 1. Human Computer Interaction 2. Problem Solving 3. Web Design 4. Introduction to Programming 5. Computing and Data Analysis 6. Robotics 13

ECS Computational Practices  Analyze effects of development in computing  Design and implement creative solutions and artifacts  Apply abstractions and models  Analyze one’s own computational work and the work of others  Connect computing with other disciplines  Communicate thought processes and results in multiple formats  Work effectively in teams 14

ECS Computer Science Concepts Unit 1: Human Computer Interaction Hardware components Tasks suitable for computers Reliability of Internet searches Communication as data exchange Societal impacts of computing (throughout) Unit 2: Problem Solving Creation of algorithms that meet specified objectives Behaviors of algorithms Tradeoffs of different algorithms for same problem Binary numbers and computers Expression of solutions using design tools Characteristics of problems that cannot be solved by an algorithm Unit 3: Web Design Web pages that address specific objectives Selection of appropriate techniques to create web pages Separation of style from content in web page design Unit 4: Introduction to Programming Appropriate algorithms to solve a problem Abstraction to design solutions to problems Design, code, test, and execute a program that corresponds to a set of specifications Selection of appropriate programming structures (data types, loops, sequencing) Debugging of programs Explanations of how programs function Unit 5: Computing & Data Analysis Various forms of data Appropriate data collection methods Analysis and interpretation of data Representation of data and identification of patterns Using data to make a case or describe a phenomenon Unit 6: Robotics Characteristic that define a robot How different hardware designs affect the function of a machine Correspondence between actions of the robot and parts of the program Ways that robots can be used in a variety of settings 15

The ECS Professional Development  Highlight the ECS conceptual structure and dynamic relationship between curriculum, computer science concepts, pedagogy, and diverse student learners in the classroom  Model and make explicit characteristics of an engaging inquiry-based pedagogy  Consider multiple methods and purposes for formative and summative evaluations of student learning  Deepen discussions around equity issues in CS classrooms  Develop reflective practitioner skills and strategies  Build professional ECS teacher community to provide support, guidance, mentoring 16

ECS Summer Institute PD – June

Scope and Impact of ECS 18

ECS Student Enrollment  (pilot) = 306 students  = 922 students  = 1,377 students  = 2,136 students 19

ECS ENROLLMENT—25 schools Race/EthnicityFemaleMaleTotal Latino ,649 Asian African American White Pacific Islander101 Native American459 Filipino TOTAL9231,2132,136

The ECS Policy Approach LOCAL  District support; memos to principals  Principal support; place class in master schedule  Teacher support; attend PD and advocate for class STATE  Partner with San Jose, Oakland ECS schools  UCOP– Awarded “G credit” and CTE credit to ECS  Catalyst for California Computer Science Advocacy Network (CCEAN) 21

ECS Expansion  Chicago  Office of CTE for the CPS has decided to make ECS the foundation course for all 5 IT strands.  Plan is to have all CTE teachers prepared to teach ECS and all strands fully implementing (3 year plan)  ECS will also count as a math credit.

Ingredients for Success—Preliminary Findings 23  Interested/enthusiastic teachers  Embrace philosophy and participate in PD  Investment in strong collaborative local partnerships  Effective communication mechanisms to facilitate cooperative decision-making  A network of teachers, administrators, and school officials to address the issues of institutionalism and sustainability.  Recruiting is made easier when the infrastructure is in place.  Local support for professional development and building a strong teacher learning community  Ongoing PD is necessary for building and sustaining a teacher learning community  When teachers reflect on the practice of teaching rather than just focusing on content they are more likely to make changes that will support the learning of diverse student populations

Questions? 24 n