Building Capacity in Computer Science Education and Student Near Peer Classroom Mentorship

计算已经成为专业科学、工程和数学学科的标准，甚至可以连接不同领域的人进行跨学科工作。然而，尽管几十年来一直在努力扩大参与，但在计算机科学领域，来自有色人种社区的代表不足的情况仍然存在。这其中的原因极其复杂。除了不公平地获得学习机会外，计算机科学教育通常假定吸收该学科的文化和实践，而不考虑学生的社会、文化和智力资源。这种似乎人们的生活中没有什么可以提供计算机科学的缺陷，进一步边缘化了已经在计算机领域代表不足的群体的学生。青年计划公司的这个项目旨在通过一个专业发展计划来解决这些问题，该计划旨在研究与文化相关的教育学，并将计算机科学融入数学课堂。本研究建立在YPP的代数项目和Bootstrap的综合课程策略的基础上建立的近同伴模式。该项目有可能在波士顿公立学校建立计算机科学教学能力，并测试一种计算机科学教学模式，以满足来自计算领域代表性不足群体的学生的需求。计算机科学教育能力建设和学生近距离同行课堂指导是青年项目(YPP)、波士顿公立学校(BPS)、Bootstrap和波士顿大学之间的研究人员-实践者伙伴关系(RPP)合作。它旨在通过设计、评估和迭代一种专业发展模式来增加高中计算机科学教师的数量，该模式使用与文化相关的教学方法并融入数学课堂。本项目的目标是为BPS教师提供专业发展，他们使用由YPP、代数项目和Bootstrap开发的课堂教学模式，并将CS整合到现有的九年级数学课堂中。该项目承诺建设BPS的计算机科学教学能力，并测试一种计算机科学教学模式，以满足在计算机科学教学中代表性不足的种族/民族的学生的需求。更大的能力将包括为目前在高中教授代数或其他入门级数学课程的BPS教师提供学习机会，以及注入与课堂教师一起担任学习者和教育者的大学生。大学生的融入，YPP的卓越模式，以及基于语篇的课程支持了一种与文化相关的CS学习方法，这种方法可以为BPS中目前没有提供计算机科学教育的目标群体提供切入点。为了发展教师的CS教学和领导能力，该项目将建立一个有效的研究实践伙伴关系，其中包括一个基于设计的实施研究过程，重点是教师专业学习机会的设计和影响。该奖项反映了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。

Computation has become standard within professional scientific, engineering, and mathematical disciplines, even serving to connect people across fields for interdisciplinary work. Yet despite decades-long efforts to broaden participation, the underrepresentation of people from communities of color persists in computer science. The reasons for this are profoundly complex. In addition to inequitable access to learning opportunities, computer science education often assumes assimilation to the culture and practices of the discipline, without considering students’ social, cultural, and intellectual resources. This deficit framing, as if people’s lives have nothing to offer computer science, serves to further marginalize students from groups already underrepresented in computing. This project from the Young People’s Project, Inc. aims to address these issues through a professional development program designed on culturally relevant pedagogy and integration of computer science into mathematics classrooms. This work builds on an established near-peer model developed by YPP’s Algebra Project and the integrative curricular strategy of Bootstrap. The project has the potential to build the computer science teaching capacity in Boston Public Schools, and to test a model of computer science teaching that is responsive to the needs of students from groups underrepresented in computing.Building Capacity in Computer Science Education and Student Near Peer Classroom Mentorship is a Researcher-Practitioner Partnership (RPP) collaboration between The Young People’s Project (YPP), Boston Public Schools (BPS), Bootstrap, and Boston University. It aims to increase the number of high school computer science teachers by designing, evaluating, and iterating on a professional development model that uses culturally relevant pedagogy and integration into mathematics classrooms. The goal of this project is to provide professional development for BPS teachers that uses a classroom model of instruction developed by YPP, the Algebra Project, and Bootstrap and integrates CS into existing 9th grade mathematics classrooms. The project promises to build the computer science teaching capacity in BPS, and to test a model of computer science (CS) teaching that is responsive to the needs of students from racial/ethnic groups underrepresented in CS. Greater capacity will include providing learning opportunities for BPS teachers currently teaching Algebra or other entry level mathematics courses in high schools as well as an infusion of college students who work as learners and educators alongside classroom teachers. The infusion of college students, YPP’s Model of Excellence, and a discourse-based curriculum supports a culturally relevant approach to CS learning that can provide entry points for a target population of students not currently offered computer science education in BPS. To develop teachers’ capacity for CS teaching and leadership, the project will build an effective research practice partnership that includes a designed based implementation research process focused on the design and impact of the professional learning opportunity for teachers.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.