Expanding Pathways into Computer Science Across South Dakota

黑山州立大学(BHSU)提出了一个项目--将路径扩展到南达科他州的计算机科学(EPCS-SD)--该项目建立在目前的一个试点项目的基础上，将其覆盖到全州深入农村地区和服务不足的学生。该项目将在全州范围内测试和完善试点项目的专业发展计划，重点是全国传播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，课程将得到加强，增加当地的相关性和对美国印第安人社区非常重要的文化联系，并将实施新的招生和家庭参与战略。该项目将与以下合作伙伴建立研究从业者伙伴关系：来自20所南达科他州学校的教师和管理人员；来自北卡罗来纳州立大学和南达科他州矿业与技术学院的教职员工；南达科他州Gear Up(获得本科课程的早期意识和准备)，这是BHSU和南达科他州印度教育办公室的联合努力；以及一个非营利性的、技术和教育创新组织。研究问题将基于从业者的需求而发展，但预计将集中在PD计划在多大程度上成功地装备教师，以有效地教授ECS：PD组件套件--连同ECS课程本身--在多大程度上建立了教师在教授计算机科学方面的信心和能力？参加ECS课程会在多大程度上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?