CS for Appalachia: A Research-Practice Partnership for Integrating Computer Science into East Tennessee Schools

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East Tennessee is a region in the heart of Appalachia marked by deep cultural roots and persistent challenges to providing students with substantial computer science (CS) learning experiences. Attention to opportunities for students to engage with CS ideas and practices is urgent and timely in light of new CS standards for the State of Tennessee being implemented in the Fall of 2019. To address the needs of students in East Tennessee Appalachia, this project provides professional development (PD) for teachers to plan for and teach CS strategies that are responsive to students and their communities. This project employs a research-practice partnership among researchers, teachers and administrators to address challenges related to teaching CS, such as access to high-quality professional learning for teachers and technical infrastructure. This collaborative work brings together the University of Tennessee, three rural East Tennessee school districts, and key community organizations. Building and strengthening this partnership enhances learning and lifelong outcomes for students by increasing their opportunities to engage with CS in the elementary grades. For stakeholders as well as researchers, the project leads to an enhanced understanding of how rural school districts create opportunities for students to engage meaningfully with CS and to a strong partnership that will enhance CS education in Appalachia in the years to come. This project's overarching goal is to strengthen, broaden and formalize existing collaborations through work sessions focused upon community learning, foundational CS ideas, knowledge and practice around culturally relevant pedagogy, and a shared vision. The project develops CS standards-aligned professional development for K-5 teachers to (1) engage students in activities that connect with Appalachian culture and lived experiences and (2) cultivate students' interests in and understanding of CS and issues beyond their immediate communities. Research activities involve exploring teacher identity development related to CS and teaching CS, as well as studying teacher learning as a product of their involvement in the PD. Evaluation focuses on efforts to strengthen the research-practice partnership by providing formative and summative feedback to the leadership group. Results are shared with the CS education community across Tennessee and the nation through presentations at conferences and workshops and publications. This collaboration provides new insights for encouraging development of systematic approaches to some of the most persistent STEM education issues faced by the most isolated school districts. This project is funded by the CS for All program.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.