Computer Science for All: Developing a Computer Science Endorsement Program for Teachers

在罗伯特·诺伊斯教师奖学金项目的支持下，德保罗大学的能力建设项目旨在满足当地对计算机科学（CS）教师的需求。为实现这一目标，联合国教科文组织将开展能力建设，制定一项计算机科学认可计划，为教师提供正式的计算机科学教学证书。认识到计算机技能对学生就业机会的重要性，项目合作伙伴芝加哥公立学校（Chicago Public Schools）制定了一项雄心勃勃的全民计算机科学（CS4All）计划。CS4All要求芝加哥公立学校的所有学生完成一年的CS课程，作为高中毕业的要求。目前，据估计，75%的计算机科学教师都在教授非专业课程。因此，作为美国第三大学区的芝加哥公立学校没有足够的合格的计算机科学教师来达到CS4All的目标。德保罗大学在伊利诺伊州拥有两个最著名的计算机科学和教育项目，将与芝加哥公立学校合作，使学校系统能够满足对合格计算机科学教师的迫切需求。在一个日益科技化、计算机驱动的世界里，美国需要更多具备21世纪职业所需技能的人进入劳动力市场。该项目希望通过确保芝加哥公立学校的高中毕业生具备基本的计算机科学技能来满足这一需求，为他们的职业生涯做好准备。该项目的中心目标是为计算机科学项目建立基础设施，该项目有可能培养数百名教师。反过来，这些教师将与芝加哥公立学校成千上万的学生一起工作，这些学生将从高中毕业，为大学做好更好的准备，并拥有21世纪职业生涯所需的工具。为了实现这些目标，该项目将致力于在德保罗大学开发一个计算机科学教师认可计划，该计划将为具有正式计算机科学资格的教师提供培训，以教育芝加哥公立学校的学生。芝加哥公立学校的CS官员将与德保罗大学的教育和CS教师合作，为该认可项目开发课程和总体框架。为了告知这一努力，项目人员将与芝加哥地区的DePaul学生和计算机科学专业人员进行在线和面对面的访谈，以确定必须包含在最先进的计算机科学课程中的关键组成部分。项目人员还将从芝加哥公立学校的教师那里获得关于学生需求的输入，尽管存在障碍，但他们已经获得了CS的认可。凭借其已建立的在线学习基础设施，德保罗大学将研究开发在线课程的可能性，通过消除往返校园的障碍，增加获得认可项目的机会。Noyce计划支持有才华的STEM本科专业和专业人士成为高需求学区有效的K-12 STEM教师，并支持经验丰富的模范K-12 STEM教师成为STEM大师教师。它还支持对高需求学区K-12 STEM教师的持久性、留任性和有效性的研究。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

With support from the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program, this Capacity Building project at DePaul University aims to serve the local need for computer science (CS) teachers. It will do so by building capacity to develop a CS endorsement program that can provide teachers with formal CS teaching credentials. Recognizing the importance of computer skills to prepare students for career opportunities, Chicago Public Schools, a project partner, has developed an ambitious Computer Science for All (CS4All) initiative. CS4All requires that all students in Chicago Public Schools complete a year-long CS course as a high school graduation requirement. Currently, it is estimated that 75% of CS instructors are teaching out-of-subject. As a result, Chicago Public Schools, the nation's third largest school district, does not have enough qualified CS teachers to meet the CS4All goals. DePaul University, which has two of the most prominent CS and education programs in the state of Illinois, will partner with Chicago Public Schools to enable the school system to meet the pressing need for qualified CS teachers. In an increasingly technological, computer-driven world, the United States needs more people who enter the workforce with the skills needed for twenty-first century careers. This project expects to contribute to filling this need by ensuring that high school graduates from Chicago Public Schools have the foundational computer science skills that will prepare them for these careers.The central goal of this project is to establish the infrastructure for a computer science program that has the potential to prepare hundreds of teachers. Those teachers, in turn, will work with thousands of students in Chicago Public Schools and those students will graduate from high school better prepared for college and with the tools necessary for twenty-first century careers. To accomplish these goals, this project will work to develop a CS teacher endorsement program at DePaul University that will prepare teachers with formal CS qualifications to educate students in Chicago Public Schools. CS officials at Chicago Public Schools will partner with Education and CS faculty at DePaul to develop the courses and overall framework for the endorsement program. To inform this effort, project personnel will conduct online and face-to-face interviews with DePaul students and CS professionals in the Chicago area to determine critical components that must be included in a state-of-the-art CS curriculum. Project personnel will also obtain input about the needs of students from Chicago Public School teachers who, despite the barriers, have obtained a CS endorsement. With its established online learning infrastructure, DePaul will investigate the possibility of developing an online curriculum, that could increase access to the endorsement program by removing the barrier of commuting to campus. The Noyce program supports talented STEM undergraduate majors and professionals to become effective K-12 STEM teachers in high-need school districts and experienced, exemplary K-12 STEM teachers to become STEM master teachers. It also supports research on the persistence, retention, and effectiveness of K-12 STEM teachers in high-need school 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.