Collaborative Research: Broadening Participation and Building Pathways in Computer Science (CS) through Concurrent Enrollment

本项目研究并行招生（CE）计划的实施和结果，作为扩大高中到大学计算机科学（CS）途径参与的工具。圣斯考拉斯蒂卡学院的移动计算机科学原理（移动CSP）项目是由大学理事会认可的与大学先修课程（AP） CSP框架一致的既定课程，与康涅狄格州哈特福德的首都社区学院和明尼苏达州西南明尼苏达州立大学的CE项目以及各州的合作学区形成了研究-实践伙伴关系（RPP）。RPP项目探讨了CS通过CE是否可以为那些传统上在这些领域代表性不足的人拓宽从高中到大学的计算机学科途径：女性、代表性不足的少数民族和低ses学生。虽然AP CSP课程比以前的AP CS课程招收了更多样化的学生群体，但它不像其他AP课程那样多样化。在主要招收代表性不足的少数族裔和低社会经济地位学生的学校中，CE课程似乎比AP有更好的渗透，显示出扩大其他学科参与和鼓励大学入学的希望。通过在两种不同的背景下（明尼苏达州的农村和低社会经济地位）实施和研究社区教育，该项目有助于在各种背景下改变社区教育的教育途径，并了解在扩大参与目标的情况下将社区教育作为社区教育实施的支持和障碍。该项目为40名高中教师提供专业发展和支持，在合作学区中教授CE版本的移动CSP课程，为期3年。这个RPP项目的目标是：(1)检查和解决实施和维持移动CSP作为并发注册课程的支持和障碍，(2)研究CSP课程的CE实施是否扩大了计算的参与。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This project studies the implementation and outcomes of Concurrent Enrollment (CE) programs as a vehicle for broadening participation in high school to college pathways in Computer Science (CS). The Mobile Computer Science Principles (Mobile CSP) project at the College of St. Scholastica, an established curriculum endorsed by the College Board for its alignment with the Advanced Placement (AP) CSP framework, has formed a Research-Practitioner Partnership (RPP) with CE programs at Capital Community College in Hartford, Connecticut and Southwest Minnesota State University in Minnesota and with partner school districts in each state. The RPP project explores whether CS through CE can broaden the high school to college pathway in computing disciplines for those traditionally underrepresented in these fields: female, underrepresented minority, and low-SES students. While the AP CSP course has enrolled a more diverse group of students than previous AP CS courses, it is not as diverse as other AP courses. CE programs appear to have better penetration than AP among schools that predominantly serve underrepresented minorities and low-SES students, showing promise for broadening participation in other disciplines and encouraging college matriculation.By implementing and studying CS through CE in two different contexts (rural and low-SES in Minnesota and urban, diverse, and low-SES in Connecticut), the project contributes to transforming the educational pathways in CS in a variety of contexts and to understanding the supports and barriers to implementing CSP as CE with a broadening-participation goal. This project provides professional development and support of 40 high school teachers to teach a CE version of the Mobile CSP course among partnering school districts over the course of 3 years. The goals of this RPP project are (1) to examine and address the supports and barriers to implementing and sustaining Mobile CSP as a concurrent enrollment course and (2) to study whether a CE implementation of the CSP course broadens participation in computing.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.