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.

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.

scholarly journals Research-Practice Partnership Strategies to Conduct and Use Research to Inform Practice

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erin Henrick ◽  
◽  
Steven McGee ◽  
Lucia Dettori ◽  
Troy Williams ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Schools ◽  
Problem Solving ◽  
Computer Science ◽  
Chicago Public Schools ◽  
University Of Illinois ◽  
Introductory Computer Science ◽  
Collaborative Processes ◽  
Student Failure ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Research And Design

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).

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.

Coaching Teachers of Exploring Computer Science: A Report on Four Years of Implementation

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Wachen ◽  
◽  
Steven McGee ◽  
Don Yanek ◽  
Valerie Curry ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Schools ◽  
Computer Science ◽  
Survey Data ◽  
Descriptive Analysis ◽  
Chicago Public Schools ◽  
Coaching Model ◽  
School Year ◽  
Technical Report ◽  
Over Time

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.

scholarly journals The Impact of the Exploring Computer Science Instructional Model in Chicago Public Schools

2016 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 10-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucia Dettori ◽  
Ronald I. Greenberg ◽  
Steven McGee ◽  
Dale Reed
Keyword(s):  
Public Schools ◽  
Computer Science ◽  
Chicago Public Schools ◽  
Instructional Model ◽  
The Impact

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.

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