K12 CS Pathways for Rural and Tribal Schools

College Of Saint Scholastica, Duluth MN

Investigators

Abstract

This proposal will address the K12 Pathways strand and will develop sustainable computer science (CS) pathways in rural and tribal schools. The goal is to introduce CS to all students early in school and provide multiple opportunities to engage with CS during K12 and achieve identified learning outcomes, with emphasis on underrepresented groups. Project team members have an existing research-practice partnership, specifically a networked improvement community, with the National Center for Computer Science Education as the hub and Fond du Lac Ojibwe School (FDLOS) and Hermantown Community Schools as network nodes. Specifically, the researchers will engage in three distinct project activities to achieve the above goal. These include: 1) Creating a computer science implementation plan for each district based on a scope and sequence for all K12 students, in alignment with Minnesota and CS Teachers Association student standards; 2) Designing sustainable CS professional development programs for rural and tribal schools, leveraging the involvement of tech integration specialists and administrators; and 3) Identifying needs of and supporting underrepresented students, in particular those in low socioeconomic status, special education, and Native American groups. Hence, the proposed work will explore school context, such as student cultural backgrounds, district size and available resources and their impact on students' CS learning. These are critical factors in the CSForAll discourse. 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.