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The AP Computer Science A course and exam continually exhibit inequity among over- and under-represented populations. This paper explored three years of AP CS A data in the Chicago Public School district (CPS) from 2016-2019 (N = 561). We analyzed the impact of teacher and student-level variables to determine the extent AP CS A course taking and exam passing differences existed between over- and under-represented populations. Our analyses suggest four prominent findings: (1) CPS, in collaboration with their Research-Practice Partnership (Chicago Alliance for Equity in Computer Science; CAFECS), is broadening participation for students taking the AP CS A course; (2) Over- and under-represented students took the AP CS A exam at statistically comparable rates, suggesting differential encouragement to take or not take the AP CS A exam was not prevalent among these demographics; (3) After adjusting for teacher and student-level prior experience, there were no significant differences among over- and under-represented racial categorizations in their likelihoods to pass the AP CS A exam, albeit Female students were 3.3 times less likely to pass the exam than Males overall; (4) Taking the Exploring Computer Science course before AP CS A predicted students being 3.5 times more likely to pass the AP CS A exam than students that did not take ECS before AP CS A. Implications are discussed around secondary computer science course sequencing and lines of inquiry to encourage even greater broadening of participation in the AP CS A course and passing of the AP CS A exam.

Disparities in Mathematics performance have been shown across race and gender for decades, although little research has reported the race by gender nexus in terms of disparity. In turn, research done to ameliorate these disparities have assumed that these differences are primarily among student populations who need remedial learning improvement. In this research, we test these assumptions by using multinomial regression analyses and adjusted mean comparisons with bias-corrected effect sizes from a data set of ~20,000 2nd grade students in Chicago. Further, we contribute to previous elementary Mathematics research by illuminating the powerful impacts that spatial reasoning integrations into Mathematics curriculum and pedagogy can have for all students' learning. Our findings provide empirical support that even after accounting for the effects of school composition, racial disparities exist in the beginning and persist throughout the year, among 2nd grade students. However, upon disaggregating students by race, gender, and median split, such disparities are greatest among students that are above the median. Our results encourage quantitative research analyses that explore ways to reduce Mathematics disparities to sharpen their approaches to be more sensitive to the achievement levels of students among such equity inquiries.

The Chicago Public Schools (CPS) leads the nation in computer science education. Each year 14,000 Chicago Public Schools students graduate with at least one year of computer science. This is the result of a graduation requirement that CPS enacted in 2016. The foundational course that most students completed to fulfill the requirement is Exploring Computer Science (ECS). This evaluation of the impact of the graduation requirement was framed around the CAPE framework. To ensure that a district supports equal outcomes in computer science, they need to develop Capacity for schools to offer computer science, increase Access to computer science, ensure equal Participation, and then examine how computer science Experiences lead to equal outcomes. The analysis was conducted through a CME-funded summer fellowship program, which included advanced graduate students and early career researchers. They found the following results. The ECS professional development program supported a rapid expansion of school Capacity after the enactment of the graduation requirement. At the time the graduation requirement was enacted, roughly half of the schools did not offer any computer science and 2/3 did not have sufficient capacity to support computer science for all students. Larger schools with fewer low-income students and a strong college going climate were more likely to offer computer science just before the enactment of the graduation requirement. Access to computer science expanded significantly after the computer science graduation requirement. Participation in computer science significantly increased across all demographic groups after the graduation requirement. By the time the 2nd cohort graduated after the requirement, the demographics of students taking computer science matched the demographics of the district. Students’ Experiences with ECS led to equivalent course performance between students taking ECS before and after the enactment of the graduation requirement. The number of students pursuing computer science pathways in CPS doubled after the enactment of the graduation requirement.

The last decade has seen rapid growth in the presence of computational thinking (CT) in educational contexts. Those working to advance CT argue that the concepts and skills associated with CT are e...

The goal of this project was to explore how explicit instruction in spatial reasoning in primary grades can contribute to reductions in variation in STEM outcomes for low-income, minority students in the Chicago Public Schools (CPS). Our project focused on the persistent gender, racial and ethnic, and socioeconomic inequalities in STEM educational and career achievement and attainment. Our approach to addressing this problem was guided by research evidence that much of the variation in STEM outcomes for these groups can be explained by spatial reasoning abilities. Importantly, spatial reasoning skills can be improved through practice, but are rarely explicitly taught in the classroom. The spatial reasoning needs and opportunities identified by this work are relevant to CPS in that they focus on the prevalent science, math, and computer science curricula currently used in CPS K-2 instruction. As such, our findings provide specific, actionable guidance for the development of curricular supports that infuse explicit spatial reasoning instruction.

This study examines the collaborative processes the Chicago Alliance for Equity in Computer Science (CAFÉCS) uses to conduct and use research. The CAFÉCS RPP is a partnership between Chicago Public Schools (CPS), Loyola University Chicago, The Learning Partnership, DePaul University, and University of Illinois at Chicago. Data used in this analysis comes from three years of evaluation data, and includes an analysis of team documents, meeting observations, and interviews with 25 members of the CAFÉCS RPP team. The analysis examines how three problems are being investigated by the partnership: 1) student failure rate in an introductory computer science course, 2) teachers’ limited use of discussion techniques in an introductory computer science class, and 3) computer science teacher retention. Results from the analysis indicate that the RPP engages in a formalized problem-solving cycle. The problem-solving cycle includes the following steps: First, the Office of Computer Science (OCS) identifies a problem. Next, the CAFÉCS team brainstorms and prioritizes hypotheses to test. Next, data analysis clarifies the problem and the research findings are shared and interpreted by the entire team. Finally, the findings are used to inform OCS improvement strategies and next steps for the CAFÉCS research agenda. There are slight variations in the problem-solving cycle, depending on the stage of understanding of the problem, which has implications for the mode of research (e.g hypothesis testing, research and design, continuous improvement, or evaluation).

In this paper, the authors share findings from a qualitative analysis of computer science teachers’ perspectives about equity within the context of an equity-focused professional development program. Drawing upon a framework emphasizing educator belief systems in perpetuating inequities in computer science education and the importance of equity-focused teacher professional development, we explored how computer science teachers understand the issue of equity in the classroom. We analyzed survey data from a sample of participants in a computer science professional development program, which revealed that teachers have distinct ways of framing their perceptions of equity and also different perspectives about what types of strategies help to create equitable, inclusive classrooms reflective of student identity and voice.

The Chicago Alliance for Equity in Computer Science is a research-practice partnership that is working to broaden the participation of Chicago Public Schools’ students in computer science. For this study, we applied the multiple streams approach from theories of the policy process (Kingdon, 1995; Zahariadis, 2014) to explain how the COVID-19 pandemic helped open a policy window for the continued use of synchronous online instruction during the implementation of an equity-centered computer science credit recovery option in Chicago.

A key strategy for broadening computer science participation in the Chicago Public Schools has been the enactment of a yearlong computer science course as a high school graduation requirement. The Exploring Computer Science (ECS) curriculum and professional development program serves as a core foundation for supporting policy enactment. However, students with prior background in computer science might find the course repetitive. This paper reports on district efforts to develop a placement exam for students to take an advanced computer science course in lieu of the introductory computer science course. The placement exam tasks were modeled after the ECS exam tasks but with higher difficulty. We used Rasch modeling to equate the placement exam tasks to the ECS exams and to establish a cut score for passing the placement exam.

As K12 computer science education is expanding nationwide, school districts are challenged to find qualified computer science teachers. It will take many years for schools of education to produce a sufficient number of certified computer science teachers to meet the demand. In the interim courses like Exploring Computer Science (ECS) can fill the gap. ECS is designed to provide a robust introduction to computer science and the accompanying professional development is structured such that a college level understanding of computer science is not required. This brief summarizes research with 20,000 Chicago Public Schools high school students and their teachers to test the claim that the ECS professional development can provide an adequate preparation for teaching ECS. The results provide strong evidence that full completion of the ECS professional development program by teachers from any discipline leads to much higher student outcomes, independent of whether a teacher is certified in computer science.

In this technical report, we examine the implementation of a coaching model for teachers of the Exploring Computer Science course in Chicago Public Schools over a period of four academic years (from 2016-2017 to 2019-2020). We first provide a description of the coaching model and how it evolved over time. Next, we present findings from a descriptive analysis of data collected through logs of coaching interactions and surveys of ECS teacher coaches during the 2019-2020 school year. Coaching logs and survey data were also collected during the 2018-2019 school year and, where appropriate, we compare results across years. We then discuss the products that were produced by the coaching team to support the implementation of the model. Finally, we provide an overview of next steps for the coaching team in the 2020-2021 school year and beyond.

This study investigated patterns in the development of computational thinking practices in the context of the Exploring Computer Science (ECS) program, a high school introductory CS course and professional development program designed to foster deep engagement through equitable inquiry around CS concepts. Past research indicates that the personal relevance of the ECS experience influences students' expectancy-value towards computer science. Expectancy-value is a construct that is predictive of career choices. We extended our research to examine whether expectancy-value influences the development of computational thinking practices. This study took place in the context of two ECS implementation projects across two states. Twenty teachers, who implemented ECS in 2016-17, participated in the research. There were 906 students who completed beginning and end of year surveys and assessments. The surveys included demographic questions, a validated expectancy-value scale, and questions about students' course experiences. The assessments were developed and validated by SRI International as a companion to the ECS course. Overall, student performance statistically increased from pretest to posttest with effect size of 0.74. There were no statistically significant differences in performance by gender or race/ethnicity. These results are consistent with earlier findings that a personally relevant course experience positively influences students' expectancy for success. These results expanded on prior research by indicating that students' expectancy-value for computer science positively influenced student learning.

Research Practice Partnerships (RPPs) are a relatively recent development as a potential strategy to address the complex challenges in computer science education. Consequently, there is little guidance available for assessing the effectiveness of RPPs. This paper describes the formative evaluation approach used to assess the progress of the first year of the formalized RPP, Chicago Alliance for Equity in Computer Science (CAFE CS). This paper contributes to the RPP literature by providing a case study of how an RPP effectiveness framework can be adapted and used to inform partnership improvement efforts in computer science education.

From 2012-13 to 2018-19, the number of Chicago Public Schools (CPS) high school students taking an introductory computer science course rose from three thousand per year to twelve thousand per year. Our analysis examines the policy entrepreneurship that helped drive the rapid expansion of computer science education in CPS, within the broader context of the development of computer science at the national level. We describe how actions at the national level (e.g., federal policy action and advocacy work by national organizations) created opportunities in Chicago and, likewise, how actions at the local level (e.g., district policy action and advocacy by local educators and stakeholders) influenced agenda setting at the national level. Data from interviews with prominent computer science advocates are used to document and explain the multidirectional (vertical and horizontal) flow of advocacy efforts and how these efforts influenced policy decisions in the area of computer science. These interviews with subsystem actors––which include district leaders, National Science Foundation program officers, academic researchers, and leaders from advocacy organizations––provide an insider’s perspective on the unfolding of events and highlight how advocates from various organizations worked to achieve their policy objectives.

Prior research has shown that students pursuing Exploring Computer Science (ECS) as their first elective course were more likely to pursue another computer science course in high school, as compared to students who took a traditional course as the first course. This study investigated whether the results are consistent when students are pursuing ECS to fulfill the Chicago Public Schools' graduation requirement. ECS is designed to foster deep engagement through equitable inquiry around computer science concepts. It is hypothesized that students who are fulfilling a graduation requirement will pursue additional computer science coursework at rates similar to students who were pursuing ECS as an elective course.

This study compares the characteristics and professional development (PD) experiences between teachers who began teaching Exploring Computer Science before and after the enactment of a CS graduation requirement in the Chicago Public Schools. The post-requirement teachers were less likely to have a CS background, but their experience in the ECS PD and their level of confidence at the end of the PD were equivalent to the early adopters.

The reported study investigated the impact of the Exploring Computer Science (ECS) program on the likelihood that students of all races and genders would pursue further computer science coursework in high school. ECS is designed to foster deep engagement through equitable inquiry around computer science concepts. The course provides experiences that are personally relevant. Using survey research, the authors sought to measure whether the personal relevance of students' course experiences influenced their expectancies of success in and value for the field of computer science and whether those attitudes predicted the probability that students pursued further computer science coursework. The results indicate that students find ECS courses personally relevant, are increasing their expectancies of success and perceived value for the field of computer science, and are more likely to take another computing course.

This study investigated patterns in the development of computational thinking and programming expertise in the context of the Exploring Computer Science (ECS) program, a high school introductory CS course and professional development program designed to foster deep engagement through equitable inquiry around CS concepts. Prior research on programming expertise has identified three general areas of development --- program comprehension, program planning, and program generation. The pedagogical practices in ECS are consistent with problem solving approaches that support the development of programming expertise. The study took place in a large urban district during the 2016--17 school year with 28 ECS teachers and 1,931 students. A validated external assessment was used to measure the development of programming expertise. The results indicate that there were medium-sized, statistically significant increases from pretest to posttest, and there were no statistically significant differences by gender or race/ethnicity. After controlling for prior academic achievement, performance in the ECS course correlated with performance on the posttest. With respect to specific programming concepts, the results also provide evidence on the progression of the development of programming expertise. Students seem to develop comprehension and planning expertise prior to expertise in program generation. In addition, students seem to develop expertise with concrete tasks prior to abstract tasks.

A key strategy for broadening CS participation in the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) has been the enactment of a high school CS graduation requirement. The Exploring Computer Science (ECS) curriculum and professional development (PD) program serve as a core foundation for supporting enactment of this policy. The CAFECS researcher-practitioner partnership provides support for ECS implementation in CPS. An important part of the sustainability of the ECS PD model in CPS is the development of local workshop facilitators. Potential facilitators have generally been selected based on the CAFECS team’s personal familiarity with active ECS teachers. Once selected, teachers engage in a two-year apprenticeship program to become facilitators. However, in the three years since the enactment of the policy, the number of ECS teachers and students has grown significantly. This rapid expansion of the CS teaching force has strained the ability to confidently identify new facilitators from a large pool of teachers and ensure consistency of workshop implementation. As a result, CAFECS is exploring how to supplement the ECS Facilitator Development Model through a proactive recruitment model and explicit support for the mentoring process.

For the last three years the CS for All initiative at the National Science Foundation has had a call for research-practice partnership (RPP) projects. The goal of the program is to advance both knowledge and practice in creating inclusive, responsive computer science/computational thinking programs for all K-12 youth. RPPs represent an approach to research that, by design, is both more equitable and more ethical because it leverages community stakeholder experiences and perspectives to inform research questions, methods, and meaning-making. RPPs are thus potentially powerful tools for equity-oriented initiatives such as CS for All. Beginning in December 2016, the Research + Practice Collaboratory, an NSF-funded initiative based at the University of Washington, has led ten RPP development workshops for CS for All, collectively serving over 700 members of the community. At these workshops we have collected data about how the community sees itself benefiting from the adoption of RPP approaches to the work. In this experience paper we describe what we have learned about the field’s interests with respect to adopting RPP approaches to the work.

As part of the Taste of Computing project, the Exploring Computer Science (ECS) instructional model has been expanded to many high schools in the Chicago Public Schools system. The authors report on initial outcomes showing that students value the ECS course experience, resulting in increased awareness of and interest in the field of computer science. The authors also compare these results by race and gender. The data provide a good basis for exploring the impact of meaningful computer science instruction on students from groups underrepresented in computing; of several hundred students surveyed, nearly half were female, and over half were Hispanic or African American.

Ecosystem response to hurricane disturbance is complex and multi-faceted. The likelihood of increased frequency of severe hurricanes creates a need for the general public to understand how ecosystems respond to hurricanes. Yet, opportunities to study disturbances to complex systems are rare in U.S. K&ndash, 12 schools. Educators and researchers in the Luquillo Long-Term Ecological Research program used the results of research on ecosystem response to hurricane disturbance in the Luquillo Experimental Forest as a foundation for the development of Journey to El Yunque, a web-based, middle-school curriculum unit. The program engages students in using models as evidence to develop explanations for how particular species respond to hurricane disturbance. Prior research in education has shown that engaging students in a particular role, like that of a scientist, could have detrimental effects on students&rsquo, abilities to transfer what is learned from one context to another. In this research, we sought to understand whether having students engage in authentic scientific practices could support transfer of knowledge to the abstract context of a standards-based assessment. Students were randomly assigned to engage in the program in the role of a scientist or in the role of a student learning about an ecosystem. The dependent variables included students&rsquo, comprehension of the background readings, their predictions of population changes, and their overall learning of ecology. The results indicate that taking on a scientist role during the learning activities had an indirect effect on general ecology knowledge by increasing the quality of students&rsquo, notetaking during background reading. The results also indicate that students struggled to use their knowledge to develop a robust explanation for how species respond to hurricane disturbance. Journey to El Yunque provides a framework for engaging students in authentic investigations of hurricane disturbance. Future research will examine how to improve the quality of students&rsquo, final explanations.