| NSF Org: |
DRL Division of Research on Learning in Formal and Informal Settings (DRL) |
| Recipient: |
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| Initial Amendment Date: | August 22, 2017 |
| Latest Amendment Date: | August 22, 2017 |
| Award Number: | 1738814 |
| Award Instrument: | Standard Grant |
| Program Manager: |
Elizabeth VanderPutten
DRL Division of Research on Learning in Formal and Informal Settings (DRL) EDU Directorate for STEM Education |
| Start Date: | September 1, 2017 |
| End Date: | August 31, 2019 (Estimated) |
| Total Intended Award Amount: | $299,955.00 |
| Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $299,955.00 |
| Funds Obligated to Date: |
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| Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
5619 SCOTTS VALLEY DR SCOTTS VALLEY CA US 95066-3453 (831)440-2235 |
| Sponsor Congressional District: |
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| Primary Place of Performance: |
100 Enterprise Way, Suite G300 Scotts Valley CA US 95066-3248 |
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Performance Congressional District: |
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| Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): |
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| NSF Program(s): | ITEST-Inov Tech Exp Stu & Teac |
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| Program Reference Code(s): |
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| Program Element Code(s): |
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| Award Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Fund Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Assistance Listing Number(s): | 47.076 |
ABSTRACT
There is great disparity for students from low socioeconomic households, Latino/a students, and female students to have quality opportunities to learn computer science (CS) or practice computational thinking (CT). This project seeks to advance knowledge of how to build research-practice partnerships that can broaden participation in computing in K-8. This project is a collaboration between Education, Training, Research (ETR), Santa Cruz City Schools (SCCS), and the Santa Cruz Education Foundation (SCEF). The school district is in a unique position, sandwiched between Silicon Valley where many family members of the students, teachers, and staff work in the high-tech industry, and the agricultural communities in the southern part of the county where the main town is 81% Latino/a, 39% are foreign-born, and almost half of the adults have not graduated from high school. The findings will address important questions about what kinds of supports different children need to learn CS, as well as who benefits from CS instruction, and how. The results will fill gaps in understanding how to create systems change in schools and school districts that can lead to CS integration for all students. These gaps include the process through which prioritization and integration occurs in districts and the kinds of support and resources that are needed for teachers. The findings will also contribute to an understanding of how to reduce unconscious bias about who is interested in and would be good at computer science. Finally, the activities will fill an important gap in understanding how to engage parents at all socioeconomic levels in educational reform. This project will produce instructional materials designed to build on the interests and strengths of girls, Hispanic/Latino students, and English language learners in elementary and middle school. The activities will offer opportunities to learn CS and CT, and will build the capacity of educators to test and revise strategies to integrate CS into classrooms in a way that fully engages a range of learners. The activities are also designed to leverage community resources and increase public engagement, with a focus on parents who are traditionally not involved in education reform, in CS education for all students.
The project will address a high-level research question: How do we reduce the disparity in students' access to quality opportunities to learn CS/CT and ongoing support to persist in CS? The activities will include teacher professional development, the creation of instructional materials and brief interventions to integrate inclusive CS into elementary and middle school classrooms, a district wide CS committee to identify needs and resources to build a network of support to boost the capacity of all schools to integrate CS into classes, the development of a system to leverage parent and community resources to support and sustain CS education, and data collection and analysis to monitor learning progressions and systems change in order to strengthen the efforts to build a CS pathway for all students. The research methods will involve working in a researcher-practitioner partnership to finalize measures, collect qualitative and quantitative data, and interpret the findings and use them in an iterative process to inform next steps. Outcomes to be measured include teachers' CS capacity and behavior, students' CS knowledge and interest, teachers' and parents' unconscious bias, a networked improvement community to leverage resources and provide support, parent and community engagement, data- and research-driven decision making, and a contribution to the field of broadening participation in CS. An external advisor will monitor the project's Theory of Change, the integrity of the research design and methods, and the development of the research-practice partnership.
PROJECT OUTCOMES REPORT
Disclaimer
This Project Outcomes Report for the General Public is displayed verbatim as submitted by the Principal Investigator (PI) for this award. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this Report are those of the PI and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation; NSF has not approved or endorsed its content.
This project addressed the disparity in computer science (CS) skills, identity, and computational thinking in a single school district. The team worked in a research-practice partnership (RPP) to build capacity and increase buy-in among school staff, teachers, and district leadership to create a CS for All pathway from 3rd to 8th grade. A district-wide CS Committee led by teachers began to map and align existing CS offerings and share resources across schools.
Broader Impacts. The project team created and tested several units that integrated CS and computational thinking into core classes, as well as science and schoolwide writing assignments. The project also provided professional development and support for teachers, staff, and administrators to demystify CS and increase buy-in. Another outcome was the development of materials for a Family Code Night for Spanish-speaking families that was designed to build parents? knowledge and support of CS education. Finally, the researchers worked with practitioners to collect and interpret data from students, families, and teachers; the results were used it to inform the district?s 5-year technology plan and to inform next steps for integrating CS education into middle and elementary schools.
Intellectual Merit. Research findings include the factors that need to be in place in order to increase parent participation in computer science education in their children?s schools. The results also show that building a strong RPP is essential for ensuring that high quality and equitable CS will be offered to all students. Making time for building relationships and co-constructing language between researchers and practitioners, as well as integrating data collection and interpretation into project activities is critical to ensure that the implementation of CS is embedded in district practices and priorities and will be sustained past the funding period. To this end, the RPP has kept a focus on social justice and on how CS integration will help to address the district leadership?s goals for academic literacy and family engagement. The project team has shared results at national and international conferences on the following topics: the steps through which RPPs development, how data can be used to strengthen RPP relationships and keep equity central, how schools can engage families in CS education, and where there are still disparities in student access and student computer science confidence in K-12.
Last Modified: 12/23/2019
Modified by: Jill Denner
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