BP: The Development, Implementation, and Evaluation of an AP Computer Science Preparatory Sequence for Underrepresented High School Students

Level Playing Field Institute, Oakland CA

Investigators

Abstract

The Level Playing Field Institute will design and implement a comprehensive Advanced Placement computer science preparatory course sequence within its 3-year Summer Math and Science Honors Academy (SMASH) to prepare underrepresented high school students of color to pursue computer science degrees in higher education. The project will to provide 345 African American and Latino low-income, first-generation high school students from schools in the San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles Area the opportunity to engage early (9th grade) and consistently (three 5-week courses over 3 summers) with computer science curriculum. This course sequence will adopt the Exploring Computer Science curriculum and introduce students to the field of computer science, while making computer science relevant to the cultural background and lived experiences of students of color. This project aims to: (1) integrate computer science into the core program components of the SMASH Academy, providing a 3-year AP CS Principles preparatory sequence for all students; (2) examine the impact of a 3-year computer science sequence on the learning outcomes, aspirations, beliefs, attitudes, and longitudinal outcomes of underrepresented high school students; and (3) examine the impact of online AP CS Principles courses on student outcomes and examine implications for online computer science courses to address disparities facing underrepresented students and broaden participation in computer science.