PECSI: Pathways for Equitable Computer Science Instruction

According to a recent report from Pennsylvania Governor Wolf, 71% of the state’s new jobs over the next ten years will require computer science skills. Computer science is therefore an important knowledge area for K-12 students in the Philadelphia Metropolitan Area, providing opportunities to economic mobility through fast-growing and high-paying occupations in a region where the median family income is 25% lower than the national average and the poverty rate is double that of the national average. This partnership between Temple University’s College of Science and Technology and the Montgomery County Intermediate Unit will prepare high school teachers to teach equitable and inclusive computer science classes, support current computer science teachers through professional development opportunities, and provide opportunities for teachers to receive professional certification. This project engages Temple University’s College of Science and Technology and the Montgomery County Intermediate Unit to develop and implement an integrated, scalable educational program to build capacity for equitable computer science (CS) instruction in secondary schools. Building on a history of collaborative development of professional development programs to improve STEM teaching, the partners have established relations and trust as well as extensive and comprehensive reach with respect to recruiting, engaging, and supporting practitioners (teachers, principals, district administrations, and students). The new effort addresses three problems of practice: shortage of high school teachers prepared to teach CS with an emphasis on equity and inclusive design, in-service teachers in the district lack opportunities for sustained education in CS content knowledge and opportunities for professional certification. The curricular elements of the pathway are designed to align with the CS K12 framework and prepare teachers for the Praxis II CS exam, which leads to a secondary certification for teaching CS in the state of Pennsylvania. Throughout the pathway, teachers engage in opportunities designed to develop knowledge and practice application of inclusive pedagogy, with an emphasis on inquiry-based, equity-focused frameworks and the Universal Design for Learning framework for developing curricular plans and materials to teach CS in secondary schools. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.