Developing and Testing Innovations: Computer Science Through Engineering Design in New York

这一开发和测试创新项目旨在通过扩大纽约州中学计算机科学(CS)教育的能力和参与度来服务于国家利益。目前CS教师严重短缺，随着越来越多的学校采用CS教育，这一问题将进一步加剧。为了帮助缓解教师短缺，该项目将实施一种模式，让纽约州不同社区的初中和高中技术与工程(T&amp；E)教师准备教授CS课程。实施模式可以在全国范围内推广，这一教师群体可以显著增加CS教学系统的规模。四个相辅相成、相互统一的项目构成了扩大CS教育能力和参与度的系统方法。它们是：组成部分1，实施以工程设计为基础的全州中学计算机辅助教学课程，实施教师专业发展(PD)计划；组成部分2，通过将学习置于真实的、与文化相关的工程设计挑战的背景下，招募、吸引和留住不同的学生；组成部分3，为教师建立一条获得双重T&amp；E/CS州认证的途径；以及组成部分4，促进家庭参与CS教育。课程和PD课程整合了与文化相关的教学方法，以解决在STEM中扩大参与和坚持的障碍。CS组件中的双重认证和家庭参与是独特和创新的元素，可以被无数STEM维护和校本项目采用。原型模型位于农村、郊区和城市学区的12个初中和高中教室中，这些教室反映了纽约州多样化的人口。项目团队将通过参与者访谈、对教师和课程开发者的调查、观察、PD学院的反馈、试行课程测试的结果(包括学生表现数据、学生调查以及教师和家庭成员的反思)，从12名T&A；E教师和大约300名学生收集定性和定量数据。使用混合方法，该团队将经验性和描述性地调查各种成分如何协同作用，作为目标结果的直接变量或中介变量。交付成果包括使用将T&amp；E和CS标准整合在一起的真实工程设计挑战的中学教学连续课程；培训教育工作者有效地提供综合内容的PD材料；衡量学生学习结果和教师成长的评估；教师获得T&amp；E和CS双重国家认证的认证途径和附带的培训材料；支持家庭支持孩子学习CS的资源；以及持续进行的项目评估和评估的研究结果和见解。通过纽约的T&amp；E扩展CS教学系统，是全国T&amp；E教师如何扩大CS参与的典范。该项目旨在贡献有价值的知识、资源和模式，这些知识、资源和模式有可能在州和国家层面塑造CS教育、教师培训和家庭参与的格局。该项目由学生和教师创新技术体验计划(ITEST)资助，该计划支持建立对实践、计划要素、背景和过程的理解的项目，这些项目有助于提高学生对科学、技术、工程和数学(STEM)以及信息和通信技术(ICT)职业的知识和兴趣。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。

This Developing and Testing Innovations project aims to serve the national interest by broadening capacity and participation in secondary school Computer Science (CS) education across New York State. There is presently a severe shortage of CS teachers that will be exacerbated as more schools embrace CS education. To help mitigate the teacher shortage, this project will implement a model to prepare middle school and high school Technology and Engineering (T&E) teachers in diverse New York State communities to teach CS courses. The implementation model is transferable nationally and this population of teachers can add significantly to the CS delivery system. Four complementary and unifying project components comprise a systems approach to broadening CS education capacity and participation. They are: component 1, implementing a statewide secondary school engineering design-based CS curricular continuum for T&E education with an aligned teacher professional development (PD) program; component 2, recruiting, engaging, and retaining diverse students by situating learning in the context of authentic, culturally relevant engineering design challenges; component 3, establishing a pathway to dual T&E/CS state certification for teachers; and component 4, fostering family engagement in CS education. The curriculum and PD programs integrate culturally relevant pedagogy to address barriers to broadening participation and persistence in STEM. The dual certification and family engagement in CS components are unique and innovative elements that can be adopted by myriad STEM preservice and school-based programs. The prototypical model is situated in twelve middle and high school classrooms in rural, suburban, and urban school districts which reflect New York State’s diverse population. The project team will collect qualitative and quantitative data from 12 T&E teachers and approximately 300 students through participant interviews, surveys of teachers and curriculum developers, observations, PD institute feedback, results of pilot testing the curriculum including student performance data, student surveys, and teacher and family member reflections. Using mixed methods, the team will empirically and descriptively investigate how the various components synergistically serve as direct or mediator variables for target outcomes. Deliverables include a secondary school continuum of instruction using authentic engineering design challenges that integrate T&E and CS standards; PD materials to train educators to deliver the integrated content effectively; assessments to measure student learning outcomes and teacher growth; a certification pathway to dual T&E and CS state certification for teachers and accompanying training materials; resources to empower families to support their children’s CS learning; and research findings and insights from ongoing program evaluations and assessments. Expanding the CS delivery system through T&E in New York is a model for how T&E teachers nationwide can broaden CS participation. This project is positioned to contribute valuable knowledge, resources, and models that have the potential to shape the landscape of CS education, teacher preparation, and family engagement at both state and national levels. This project is funded by the Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) program, which supports projects that build understandings of practices, program elements, contexts and processes contributing to increasing students' knowledge and interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and information and communication technology (ICT) careers.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.