Expanding Pathways into Computer Science Across South Dakota

黑山州立大学（BHSU）提出了一个项目--在南达科他州（EPCS-SD）扩展计算机科学的途径--该项目建立在当前的试点项目的基础上，将其范围扩大到整个州的偏远农村地区和服务不足的学生。 该项目将测试和完善试点项目的专业发展计划，重点是在全州范围内推广的高中课程探索计算机科学（ECS）。该计划将进行修改，以支持更多的地理分布的教师群体，课程将加强与当地的相关性和文化联系的重要美洲印第安人社区，新的学生招募和家庭参与的战略将实施。该项目将开发一个研究从业者伙伴关系与一些合作伙伴：教师和行政人员从20南达科他州学校;来自BHSU和南达科他州矿业和技术学院的教师;南达科他州GEAR UP（获得早期意识和准备本科课程），BHSU和南达科他州印第安教育办公室的共同努力;以及一个非营利组织，教育技术和创新。 研究问题将根据从业者的需求而发展，但预计将集中在PD程序成功地装备教师有效地教ECS的程度：在何种程度上的PD组件套件-连同ECS课程本身-建立教师的信心和能力在计算机科学教学？在何种程度上参与ECS课程影响学生的信念和态度？

Black Hills State University (BHSU) proposes a project--Expanding Pathways into Computer Science across South Dakota (EPCS-SD)--that builds on a current pilot project, extending its reach to profoundly rural regions and under-served students throughout the state. The project will test and refine the pilot project's professional development program, focusing on the nationally disseminated high school curriculum Exploring Computer Science (ECS), in a statewide setting. The program will be modified to support a more geographically distributed group of teachers, the curriculum will be enhanced with additional local relevance and cultural connections important to American Indian communities, and new student recruitment and family engagement strategies will be implemented.The project will develop a Research Practitioner Partnership with a number of partners: teachers and administrators from 20 South Dakota schools; faculty from BHSU and South Dakota School of Mines and Technology; South Dakota GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs), a joint effort of BHSU and South Dakota's Office of Indian Education; and a nonprofit, Technology and Innovation in Education. The research questions will evolve based on the needs of the practitioners but are expected to focus on the extent to which the PD program succeeds in equipping teachers to teach ECS effectively: To what degree does the suite of PD components--together with the ECS curriculum itself--build teacher confidence and competence in teaching computer science? and To what degree does participation in the ECS course influence student beliefs and attitudes?