The Cleveland Tech Talent Pipeline (CLE TTP)

Cleveland State University, Cleveland OH

Investigators

Abstract

It is critical that all students have a basic understanding of our digital world to ensure their future success in all realms of college and career readiness. However, the playing field is not level; the numbers of women students, students of color, and students with disabilities, for example, remain low. It is therefore important that intentional strategies and measures that are specifically aimed at inclusive access (the forAll part of CSforAll). This The Cleveland Tech Talent Pipeline will build upon several NSF-supported efforts in Cleveland to develop pathways for students in computer science and information technology from high school to career, community college and/or four-year colleges and universities. Through a collaboration between Cleveland State University and the Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD), a network of pathways will be implemented through a range of activities, including high school mathematics and computer science courses, internships, and summer programs for CMSD students. The lessons learned from this project will be highly valuable for states and communities across the US working to introduce CS at scale in K-12 schools and create pathways from high school to and through higher education. Since 2013, Cleveland State University (CSU), in collaboration with Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) and other local groups, has been serving students in CMSD to ensure that they have access to computer science knowledge, skills and careers. Leveraging prior NSF-funded research on the impact of CS courses on underrepresented students of color in Cleveland, The Cleveland Tech Talent Pipeline (CLE TTP) will develop pathways for students interested in careers in CS and information technology from high school to community college and/or four-year colleges and universities utilizing high school mathematics and CS courses and summer internships with mathematics support for students in the CMSD. This Research-Practitioner Partnership (RPP) will: 1) support the development of summer workshops and internship programs for high school students from CMSD, 2) incorporate CS and information technology into the high school curriculum, 3) create a transition for CMSD students to career, two-year and four-year degree programs, 4) track and provide support for students from ninth grade through college and career from CMSD who participate in the CS courses, summer programs and/or internships, and 5) develop a dissemination strategy to share lessons learned with other districts in the local, state and national communities. The project team will also conduct research on the impacts of the workshop/internship programs and the CS high school curriculum. This project has the potential to inform the CS community about CS pathways for students in high need urban districts across the country. 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.