Collaborative Research: Identifying Participation Barriers to Computer Science Education in Rural Mississippi

这个小链K-14项目的主要目标是“合作研究：确定密西西比州农村计算机科学教育的参与障碍”，目的是建立一个研究人员-实践者伙伴关系（RPP），以确定密西西比州高度贫困的农村地区参与计算机科学教育的障碍。在过去的两年里，密西西比州教育部（MDE）和密西西比州立大学（MSU）的研究和课程部门（RCU）合作实施了一项全州范围的计算机科学试点项目，向K-12学校免费提供。进入试点的第三年，该州148个学区中有74个开设了计算机科学课程；然而，据观察，位于该州最偏远、最贫困和收入最低地区（主要是三角洲地区）的地区没有参与为教师提供免费计算机科学专业发展的机会，从而为学生提供可以开始为高要求、高收入职业做好准备的课程。通过RPP，问题和看法将被调查，以确定为什么这些地区没有利用这个机会在教室里提供计算机科学教育。该合作项目由密歇根州立大学和密西西比河谷州立大学（MVSU）（一所位于三角洲的四年制高等教育机构）合作，将与密歇根州立大学周围六个地区的教师、管理人员和辅导员，以及当地社区学院、企业主、社区领袖和家长建立伙伴关系，以确定阻碍或限制计算机科学教育机会的问题。识别和解决这些人口和地理区域缺乏参与的根本原因将使那些最直接参与的人发出声音，同时也将改变对计算机科学的看法，并根据更多不同群体（主要是非裔美国教师和学生）的贡献扩大该领域的参与。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。

The primary goal of the small strand, K-14 project "Collaborative Research: Identifying Participation Barriers to Computer Science Education in Rural Mississippi" is to develop a researcher-practitioner partnership (RPP) to identify barriers to participation in computer science education in high poverty, rural areas of Mississippi. In the past two years, a collaborative effort between the Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) and Mississippi State University's (MSU's) Research and Curriculum Unit (RCU) implemented a statewide computer science pilot offered free of charge to K-12 schools. Entering the third year of the pilot, 74 of 148 school districts in the state are now offering computer science courses; however, it has been observed that districts situated in the most rural, highest poverty, and lowest income areas in the state (primarily the Delta region) are not participating in the opportunity to provide their teachers free computer science professional development and thereby offer students access to courses that would begin preparing them for jobs in a very high-demand, high-salary career. Through a RPP, issues and perceptions will be investigated to determine why these districts are not taking advantage of this opportunity to offer computer science education in the classrooms.This collaborative project between MSU and Mississippi Valley State University (MVSU), a four-year institution of higher learning located in the Delta, will form a partnership with teachers, administrators, and counselors from six districts in the area surrounding MVSU, as well as the local community college, business owners, community leaders, and parents, to identify issues acting as barriers or constraints to computer science education opportunities. Identifying and addressing the root causes of the lack of participation in these types of demographic and geographic areas will give a voice to those who are most directly involved, while also transforming perceptions of computer science and broadening participation in the field based on contributions from more diverse groups, primarily African American teachers and students.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.