Collaborative Research: CAFECS: Enhancing Culturally Responsive Teaching that Helps Students Build Connections Between Exploring Computer Science and their Lives

学习伙伴关系与德保罗大学和芝加哥公立学校(CPS)合作，将解决芝加哥公立学校拉丁裔学生在计算机科学(CS)课程表现方面的差距。CPS使用探索计算机科学(ECS)，这是一门旨在促进探究和基于公平的教学实践的计算机科学课程，但Latinx学生在CS方面的表现逊于他们的同龄人。研究表明，强调学生生活和学术内容之间联系的学习环境对拉丁裔学生尤为重要，PIS假设这可以解释拉美裔学生在CPS中成绩的差距。这项提议的目标是调整建立联系计划，这是一种新的基于证据的战略，帮助教师和学生将课程内容与学生的生活联系起来，作为ECS课程框架的补充。该项目的成果将有助于文化响应教育学的文献，并进一步加深我们对城市学区独特的专业发展需求的理解。学习伙伴关系与德保罗大学和芝加哥公立学校(CPS)合作，寻求解决芝加哥公立学校拉美裔学生在探索计算机科学(ECS)课程结果方面的差异，包括课程表现和未来的课程选修。来自CAFéCS辅导计划的先前证据表明，教师没有完全调整课程以适应学生的背景。研究表明，强调学生生活和学术内容之间联系的学习环境对拉丁裔学生尤为重要，PIS推测这可能解释了拉丁裔学生在CPS中成绩差异的原因。这项提议的目标是调整和实施建立联系计划，这是一种新兴的基于证据的战略，帮助教师和学生将课程内容与学生的生活联系起来，作为ECS课程框架的补充。建立联系计划的整合将有助于支持教师开发ECS推荐的适应文化的课程类型。该项目将提供在线职业发展，将对建立联系计划的支持整合到ECS教学指导中，并由改进科学专家为ECS教练提供指导。该项目的结果将为研究人员如何以实际相关和有意义的方式测试他们的理论提供指导，该研究将有助于了解城市地区独特的专业发展需求的文献。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。

The Learning Partnership, in collaboration with DePaul University and Chicago Public Schools (CPS) will address gaps in computer science (CS) course performance among Latinx students in Chicago Public Schools. CPS uses Exploring Computer Science (ECS), a computer science curriculum designed to facilitate inquiry and equity-based instructional practices, yet Latinx students underperform in CS relative to their peers. Research shows that a learning environment that emphasizes the connection between students’ lives and academic content is particularly important for Latinx students, and the PIs postulate that this could explain the gap in outcomes for Latinx students in CPS. The goal of this proposal is to adapt the Build Connections program, a new evidence-based strategy to help teachers and students connect course content to students’ lives, as a complement to the ECS curriculum framework. The results of this project will contribute to the literature on culturally responsive pedagogy and further our understanding of the unique professional development needs of urban school districts.The Learning Partnership, in collaboration with DePaul University and Chicago Public Schools (CPS) seeks to address variations in Exploring Computer Science (ECS) course outcomes for Latinx students in Chicago Public Schools, including course performance and future course taking. Prior evidence from the CAFÉCS coaching program suggests that teachers are not fully adapting lessons to accommodate students’ backgrounds. Research shows that a learning environment that emphasizes the connection between students’ lives and academic content is particularly important for Latinx students, and the PIs conjecture that this might explain the gap in outcomes for Latinx students in CPS. The goal of this proposal is to adapt and implement the Build Connections program, an emerging evidence-based strategy that helps teachers and students connect course content to students’ lives, as a complement to the ECS curriculum framework. The integration of the Build Connections program will help support teachers in developing the kinds of culturally responsive lesson adaptations recommended by ECS. The project will provide online professional development, integrate support for the Build Connections program into ECS instructional coaching, and mentoring for the ECS coaches from an expert in improvement science. The results of this project will provide guidance to researchers on how to test their theories in practically relevant and meaningful ways, and the research will contribute to the literature on understanding the unique professional development needs of urban districts.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.