Developing Inclusive K-12 Computing Pathways for the League of Innovative Schools

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Digital Promise Global will join with the League of Innovative Schools to design, investigate and improve inclusive computing pathways for K-12 students. Most states have enacted computer science mandates and many districts have started to integrate computer science and computational thinking into their curriculum. But districts face obstacles that result in low participation of underrepresented students. Building on its ongoing, long-term relationships with the 93 districts in 33 states serving more than 3 million students, the League of Innovative Schools has launched a Researcher-Practitioner Partnership to design coherent curricular progressions for computer science and computational thinking with an intentional emphasis on access and equity. Researchers join with three Core districts in the League of Innovative Schools to focus on districts' Hispanic and African American students, Title 1 schools and, more generally, their girls and low-income students. These students need intentionally designed pathways and supports to increase their participation in computational thinking and computer science.The project will address three research questions, each with a deliberate focus on access and equity. Due to the rapid expansion of computer science initiatives across states and districts, the outputs of this project -- including (a) each district's completed pathway and resources (addressing both the "why" and "how" for access and equity), (b) the research instruments and processes used to collect and analyze equity data in rapid cycles, and (c) case studies and recommendations on how to build computing pathways that address challenges of access and equity -- are expected to be broadly useful. The project will directly serve 3 Core districts with 50,000 students (29% low income, 26% Black or Latinx). To increase broader impacts, this project will involve an additional 9 Knowledge Sharing districts (91,000 students 53% low income, 41% Black or Latinx). Results will be disseminated widely by engaging Digital Promise Global's established practices and channels including short videos, social media, webinars, and workshops, with an established reach of over 4000 schools and 10,000 educators.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.