Supporting Teachers for Computer Science Reform: Lessons from over 20,000 Students in Chicago

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Phillip Boda ◽  
◽  
Steven McGee ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
High School Students ◽  
Public Schools ◽  
Computer Science ◽  
Science Teachers ◽  
Development Program ◽  
Chicago Public Schools ◽  
College Level ◽  
Schools Of Education ◽  
School Students

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.

A New Understanding of our Confusion

2017 ◽  
pp. 582-604 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher Seals ◽  
Akesha Horton ◽  
Inese Berzina-Pitcher ◽  
Punya Mishra
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Public Schools ◽  
Growth And Development ◽  
Selection Process ◽  
Development Program ◽  
Chicago Public Schools ◽  
Holistic View ◽  
Stem Instruction ◽  
K 12 ◽  
The U.S

This chapter discusses the philosophies and practices that drive the MSUrbanSTEM Leadership & Teaching Fellowship Program. This multi-year project offers a professional development program to a selected cohort of K-12 STEM educators from Chicago Public Schools, one of the largest urban districts in the U.S. This chapter provides a holistic view of the program, shares the fellow selection process, and focuses on the strategically developed curriculum and the theoretical bases for the chosen pedagogy. This allows the authors to explore the psychological and philosophical principles, based on the idea of accepting confusion, and embracing failure in beliefs about pedagogy and STEM instruction, which are used to expand the skills and abilities of these selected urban school teachers. Finally, we provide some initial findings about the teachers' growth and development both in their efficacy and leadership abilities.

scholarly journals Science Teachers’ Teaching Styles, Students’ Learning Styles and Their Academic Performance in The Secondary Public Schools of Zambales

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (10) ◽  
pp. 951-959
Author(s):  
Jennifer Garingarao Ariem ◽  
Esmen Macadaan Cabal
Keyword(s):  
Academic Performance ◽  
High School Students ◽  
Public Schools ◽  
Learning Styles ◽  
Science Teachers ◽  
Teaching Styles ◽  
School Students ◽  
Length Of Service ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Factors Affecting

This research was conducted to determine the relationship of Science teachers’ teaching styles and the students’ learning styles and academic performance. The study was conducted among the public secondary school in Subic, Zambales during the academic year 2018 – 2019. The descriptive survey research design was used where the teaching styles of eighty-five teachers and six hundred high school students. Data were analyzed using the percentage, mean and chi square test. The findings of the study revealed that the science teachers are adults with the most of them are female. The students are teenagers mostly male in Grade 8. The teaching styles of the science teachers is of a formal authority and the learning styles of the students is generally visual. The academic performance in science is satisfactory. The teaching styles of the teachers was dependent on education, field of specialization, length of service. The learning styles of the students were not dependent significantly on their age and year level. The learning styles of the students were significantly dependent on teaching styles of their science teachers and the academic performance of the students significantly dependent on the teaching styles of the science teachers. The academic performance of students are significantly dependent on their learning styles. With these findings and conclusions follow up studies exploring other factors affecting the performance level of the students in Science is recommended as well as the effectiveness of the various teaching styles and learning styles to promote learning and better understanding in the subject must be conducted.

CAPSULE: An Innovative Capstone-Based Pedagogical Approach to Engage High School Students in STEM Learning

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abe Zeid ◽  
Sagar Kamarthi ◽  
Claire Duggan ◽  
Jessica Chin
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
High School Students ◽  
Public Schools ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
College Level ◽  
Stem Learning ◽  
Abstract Concepts ◽  
Top Down ◽  
School Students ◽  
Pedagogical Approach

School children in general and high school students, in particular more often than not lose interest in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) education. Underrepresented and female students are even more discouraged by STEM courses. Our investigation and interviews with high school teachers cite that the main reason for such disinterest is the disconnect between school and reality. Students cannot relate the abstract concepts they learn in physics, biology, chemistry, or math to their surroundings. This paper discusses a new capstone project-based approach that closes this gap. This work is an outcome of an NSF funded project called CAPSULE (Capstone Unique Learning Experience). We use the top-down pedagogical approach instead of the traditional bottom-up approach. The top-down approach relates the abstract concepts to exciting open-ended capstone projects where students are engaged in designing solutions, like products to solve open-ended problems. This top-down approach is modeled after the college-level capstone design courses. The paper presents the model, its details, and implementation. It also presents the formative and summative evaluation of the model after deploying it in the Boston Public Schools, a system heavily populated by the targeted student groups.

scholarly journals An Examination of Factors Correlating with Course Failure in a High School Computer Science Course

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven McGee ◽  
◽  
Ronald I. Greenberg ◽  
Lucia Dettori ◽  
Andrew M. Rasmussen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
High School ◽  
Public Schools ◽  
Computer Science ◽  
Development Program ◽  
The United States ◽  
Demographic Characteristics ◽  
Professional Development Program ◽  
Graduation Requirement ◽  
School Computer

Across the United States, enrollment in high school computer science (CS) courses is increasing. These increases, however, are not spread evenly across race and gender. CS remains largely an elective class, and fewer than three-fourths of the states allow it to count towards graduation. The Chicago Public Schools has sought to ensure access for all students by recently enacting computer science as a high school graduation requirement. The primary class that fulfills the graduation requirement is Exploring Computer Science (ECS), a high school introductory course and professional development program designed to foster deep engagement through equitable inquiry around CS concepts. The number of students taking CS in the district increased significantly and these increases are distributed equitably across demographic characteristics. With ECS serving as a core class, it becomes critical to ensure success for all students independent of demographic characteristics, as success in the course directly affects a student’s ability to graduate from high school. In this paper, we examine the factors that correlate with student failure in the course. At the student level, attendance and prior general academic performance correlate with passing the class. After controlling for student characteristics, whether or not teachers participated in the professional development program associated with ECS correlates with student success in passing the course. These results provide evidence for the importance of engaging teachers in professional development, in conjunction with requiring a course specifically designed to provide an equitable computer science experience, in order to broaden participation in computing.

Building Urban Pre-Service Teachers’ Pedagogical Knowledge and Skills through Digital Poetry Collaborations

2014 ◽  
pp. 37-56
Author(s):  
Jody Polleck ◽  
Jason Wirtz
Keyword(s):  
High School Students ◽  
Public Schools ◽  
Secondary Students ◽  
Schools Of Education ◽  
School Students ◽  
Digital Poetry ◽  
Instructional Objectives ◽  
Technological Competencies ◽  
Pedagogical Knowledge And Skills ◽  
Collaborative Efforts

Educational reform theorists argue that schools of education and their neighboring public schools must enhance collaborative efforts so as to attain “simultaneous renewal” wherein elementary and secondary students and pre-service teachers are served in authentic ways that deepen all students’ learning (Goodlad, 1994). One way to accomplish this is through use of sustainable, innovative projects that connect pre-service teachers’ early learning experiences directly to public classrooms. The purpose of this chapter is to offer a model for successful collaborations between pre-service teachers and urban high school students. The authors provide an overview of the digital poetry project and subsequent analysis of the reciprocal impact this project had on both the pre-service teachers and adolescents, including increased engagement with instructional objectives, enhanced literacy and technological competencies, and fostering of intellectual transitions.

scholarly journals Life on the Frontier of AP Expansion: Can Schools in Less-Resourced Communities Successfully Implement Advanced Placement Science Courses?

2019 ◽  
Vol 48 (6) ◽  
pp. 356-368
Author(s):  
Mark C. Long ◽  
Dylan Conger ◽  
Raymond McGhee
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
High School Students ◽  
Public Schools ◽  
Advanced Placement ◽  
Low Income ◽  
College Level ◽  
School Students ◽  
Science Courses

The Advanced Placement (AP) program has undergone two major reforms in recent decades: the first aimed at increasing access and the second at increasing relevance. Both initiatives are partially designed to increase the number of high school students from low-income backgrounds who have access to college-level coursework. Yet critics argue that schools in less-resourced communities are unable to implement AP at the level expected by its founders. We offer the first model of the components inherent in a well-implemented AP science course and the first evaluation of AP implementation with a focus on public schools newly offering the inquiry-based version of AP Biology and Chemistry courses. We find that these frontier schools were able to implement most, but not all, of the key components of an AP science course.

Strategies to Support LGBTQ+ Students in High Schools: What Did We Learn in Chicago Public Schools?

2021 ◽  
pp. 152483992110064
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Jarpe-Ratner ◽  
Booker Marshall ◽  
Maham Choudry ◽  
Marisa Wishart ◽  
Bianca Reid ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
High School Students ◽  
Public Schools ◽  
School Health ◽  
Technical Assistance ◽  
Chicago Public Schools ◽  
Measure Data ◽  
School Staff ◽  
Lgbtq Students ◽  
K 12

In 2013, the Chicago Public Schools district received funding from the Division of Adolescent and School Health at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to implement a series of strategies aimed to reduce HIV, STIs (sexually transmitted diseases), and related risk behaviors among students. One such set of strategies included “safe and supportive environments” (SSE), aimed to support lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, and other LGBTQ+ students. SSE strategies included professional development and technical assistance provided to K–12 school staff (teachers, administrators, social workers, etc.) to implement the following practices: support for transgender and gender nonconforming students in accordance with district guidelines, use of LGBTQ+ inclusive curricula, posting of signs and symbols of support, and creation of Genders and Sexualities Alliance student clubs. To monitor progress and performance, both quantitative and qualitative process measure data were collected. Quantitative data consisted of key metrics such as number of staff trained and surveillance data collected through school health profiles in collaboration with the CDC. Qualitative data were gathered to understand barriers and facilitators to implementation of SSE practices via interviews with 55 school staff members and four focus groups with 31 high school students. Results indicated an increased uptake of all SSE activities across the 5-year funding period. Findings also reveal additional needed supports, such as increased availability and offering of professional development for all staff, support for staff in engaging parents, and ensuring the LGBTQ+ inclusive sexual health education curriculum is experienced as such by students. Current work to address these needs is described.

Embracing the Inherent Messiness in Urban Education

2019 ◽  
pp. 60-83
Author(s):  
Inese Berzina-Pitcher ◽  
Akesha Horton ◽  
Leigh Graves Wolf ◽  
Christopher D. Seals ◽  
Punya Mishra
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Public Schools ◽  
Growth And Development ◽  
Development Program ◽  
Professional Development Program ◽  
Chicago Public Schools ◽  
Holistic View ◽  
K 12 ◽  
The U.S

This chapter discusses the philosophies and practices that drive the MSUrbanSTEM Leadership & Teaching Fellowship Program. This multi-year project offered a professional development program to three cohorts of K-12 STEM educators from Chicago Public Schools, one of the largest urban districts in the U.S. This chapter provides a holistic view of the program, focuses on the strategically developed curriculum and the theoretical bases for the chosen pedagogy. In addition, because the sustainability was an integral part of the program, the chapter describes the role of sustainability fellows. Finally, the authors provide some findings about the teachers' growth and development.

Computer Science Teachers as Change Agents for Broadening Participation: Exploring Perceptions of Equity

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Wachen ◽  
◽  
Mark Johnson ◽  
Steven McGee ◽  
Faythe Brannon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Computer Science ◽  
Science Teachers ◽  
Belief Systems ◽  
Change Agents ◽  
Development Program ◽  
Professional Development Program ◽  
Science Professional Development ◽  
Teacher Professional ◽  
Teachers Perspectives

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.

Using Rasch analysis for determining the cut score of a computer science placement exam

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven McGee ◽  
◽  
Everett Smith ◽  
Andrew Rasmussen ◽  
Jeremy Gubman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Schools ◽  
Computer Science ◽  
Development Program ◽  
Chicago Public Schools ◽  
Graduation Requirement ◽  
Introductory Computer Science ◽  
Cut Score ◽  
School Graduation ◽  
Placement Exam ◽  
Advanced Computer

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.

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