NSF Org:	CNS Division Of Computer and Network Systems
Recipient:	BOARD OF TRUSTEE OF COMMUNITY-TECHNICAL COLLEGE
Initial Amendment Date:	September 19, 2018
Latest Amendment Date:	September 13, 2022
Award Number:	1836983
Award Instrument:	Standard Grant
Program Manager:	Allyson Kennedy CNS  Division Of Computer and Network Systems CSE  Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering
Start Date:	October 1, 2018
End Date:	September 30, 2023 (Estimated)
Total Intended Award Amount:	$183,654.00
Total Awarded Amount to Date:	$183,654.00
Funds Obligated to Date:	FY 2018 = $183,654.00
History of Investigator:	Seth Freeman (Principal Investigator) sfreeman@ccc.commnet.edu Karen Binkhorst (Co-Principal Investigator)
Recipient Sponsored Research Office:	Capital Community College 950 MAIN ST HARTFORD CT  US  06103-1234 (860)906-5102
Sponsor Congressional District:	01
Primary Place of Performance:	Capital Community College 950 Main Street Hartford CT  US  06103-1207
Primary Place of Performance Congressional District:	01
Unique Entity Identifier (UEI):	V9HAESFBZHD4
Parent UEI:	V9HAESFBZHD4
NSF Program(s):	STEM + Computing (STEM+C) Part
Primary Program Source:	01001819DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT
Program Reference Code(s):	023Z, 9102
Program Element Code(s):	005Y00
Award Agency Code:	4900
Fund Agency Code:	4900
Assistance Listing Number(s):	47.070

ABSTRACT

This project studies the implementation and outcomes of Concurrent Enrollment (CE) programs as a vehicle for broadening participation in high school to college pathways in Computer Science (CS). The Mobile Computer Science Principles (Mobile CSP) project at the College of St. Scholastica, an established curriculum endorsed by the College Board for its alignment with the Advanced Placement (AP) CSP framework, has formed a Research-Practitioner Partnership (RPP) with CE programs at Capital Community College in Hartford, Connecticut and Southwest Minnesota State University in Minnesota and with partner school districts in each state.

The RPP project explores whether CS through CE can broaden the high school to college pathway in computing disciplines for those traditionally underrepresented in these fields--female, underrepresented minority, and low-SES students. While the AP CSP course has enrolled a more diverse group of students than previous AP CS courses, it is not as diverse as other AP courses. CE programs appear to have better penetration than AP among schools that predominantly serve underrepresented minorities and low-SES students, showing promise for broadening participation in other disciplines and encouraging college matriculation.

By implementing and studying CS through CE in two different contexts (rural and low-SES in Minnesota and urban, diverse, and low-SES in Connecticut), the project contributes to transforming the educational pathways in CS in a variety of contexts and to understanding the supports and barriers to implementing CSP as CE with a broadening-participation goal. This project provides professional development and support of 40 high school teachers to teach a CE version of the Mobile CSP course among partnering school districts over the course of 3 years. The goals of this RPP project are (1) to examine and address the supports and barriers to implementing and sustaining Mobile CSP as a concurrent enrollment course and (2) to study whether a CE implementation of the CSP course broadens participation in computing.

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.

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