Preparing K-5 Teachers to Integrate the Computer Science Standards of Learning in Inclusive Classrooms to Support Students with High Incidence Disabilities

虽然将计算机科学和计算思维(CS/CT)引入中学的努力有所增加，但大多数举措的目的并不是培养小学在职教师所需的相关知识和技能。这一问题尤其重要，因为各州开始采用针对K-12的CS标准，而很少或根本不支持这些标准的实施。与此同时，最常见的残疾学生需要有机会学习CS标准概述的内容和实践。该项目将通过与当地学校分部诺福克市公立学校合作，建立一种实用、全面、有效和有吸引力的专业发展(PD)模式来解决这一问题，以支持所有学习者在小学教学中融入CS，重点是支持高发残疾学生。该项目将与伙伴地区的75名小学教师合作，为整合小学年级的CS标准制定PD，并创建支持教师整合的资源。在NCPS现有的任何一年的近10,000名K-5年级学生中，这些教师保守地每年将教授1500名学生，占学生总数的15%。PD模式还将通过与CodeVA的关系扩展到弗吉尼亚州的其他学校部门。最后，PD和研究伙伴关系战略将通过在线资源(即，视频图书馆、在线培训模块)、在当地和全国会议上的演讲以及同行审稿来传播。乔治梅森大学和老道明大学的教职员工与诺福克市公立学校(NCPS)的人员创建了研究实践者伙伴关系，该伙伴关系将使用基于设计的实施研究(DBIR)过程来改进有效的PD模型，以支持包容性课堂中的小学教师以高发残疾(例如，学习障碍、情绪或行为障碍、轻度智力障碍、高功能自闭症和注意力缺陷多动障碍)。从理论和概念上讲，本研究将有助于整合计算机科学的教学策略和方法，以及理解小学教师如何理解CS标准和如何实现CS整合。通用学习设计教学框架将指导实施小组和伙伴教育工作者设计教学，通过解决学习障碍来满足包括残疾人在内的所有学习者的需要。本研究将借助小学课堂教师的专家见解，通过适合年级的进度来检验CS序列。该项目还将通过CS培养学生的学科素养，因为学生使用不同的策略来阅读、写作和交流他们在不同学科内部和之间的理解。总而言之，这些努力将有助于回答最重要的问题：多个利益相关者如何协作完善和发展有效和可持续的PD，将计算机科学整合到K-5包容性课堂，以支持高发残疾学生？该项目将通过对教师的访谈、实地观察笔记、教师评估和调查结果、口头礼仪数据、教师教案、视频数据和学生作业样本来收集数据，作为DBIR过程的一部分。对每个周期中的访谈、观察、教案和口头礼仪思维的分析将依赖于恒定的比较定性的方法。对任职前测量数据的分析将包括描述性统计和配对样本t检验，以衡量教师在个人发展计划中的成长。这一奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Although there has been an increase in efforts to introduce computer science and computational thinking (CS/CT) into secondary schools, most initiatives have not been designed to develop related knowledge and skills necessary for elementary in-service teachers. This issue is particularly important as states begin to adopt CS standards for K-12 with little to no support for implementation of the standards. At the same time, students with the most common disabilities need to have opportunities to learn the content and practices outlined those CS standards. The project will address this problem by generating, working in partnership with a local school division, Norfolk City Public Schools, a usable, comprehensive, effective, and appealing model of professional development (PD) to support CS integration in elementary instruction for all learners, with an emphasis on supporting students with high-incidence disabilities. In developing PD for integration of CS standards in elementary grades and creating resources to support teachers in this integration, this project will work with more than 75 elementary teachers in the partner district. Of the nearly 10,000 current K-5th grade students in NCPS in any given year, these teachers will, conservatively, teach 1,500 students or 15% of the student population yearly. The PD model will also be extended into other school divisions in Virginia through its relationship with CodeVA. Finally, PD and research-partnership strategies will be disseminated through online resources (i.e., video library, online training modules), presentations at local and national conferences, and peer reviewed manuscripts.Faculty from George Mason University and Old Dominion University created a Researcher Practitioner Partnership with personnel from Norfolk City Public Schools (NCPS) that will use a Design Based Implementation Research (DBIR) process to refine an effective PD model to support elementary teachers in inclusive classrooms in integrating recently-mandated CS standards into math, science, and literacy instruction in ways accessible to students with high-incidence disabilities (e.g. learning disabilities, emotional or behavioral disorders, mild intellectual disability, high functioning autism, and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder). Theoretically and conceptually, the research will contribute to pedagogical strategies and approaches for integrating computer science and understanding how elementary teachers understand CS standards and approach CS integration. The Universal Design for Learning instructional framework will guide the implementation team and partner educators to design instruction to meet the needs of all learners, including those with disabilities, by addressing barriers to learning. The research will examine CS sequencing through grade-appropriate progressions by drawing on the expert insights of elementary classroom teachers. The project will also develop disciplinary literacy through CS as students use various strategies to read, write, and communicate their understanding within and among various disciplines. Combined, these efforts will help answer the overarching question: How do multiple stakeholders collaboratively refine and develop effective and sustainable PD on the integration of computer science in K-5 inclusive classrooms to support students with high incidence disabilities? The project will collect data via interviews with teachers, field notes from observations, teacher assessment & survey results, verbal protocol data, teacher lesson plans, video data, and student work samples across 6-week iterative cycles as part of the DBIR process. Analysis of interviews, observations, lesson plans, and verbal protocol think-alouds in each cycle will rely on the constant-comparative qualitative method. Analysis of data from pre-post measures will include descriptive statistics and paired-sample t-test to measure the growth of teachers through the PD.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.