Collaborative Research: CSforAll:RPP: Jumpstarting Philadelphia CSforAll through a Researcher Practitioner Partnership

与邻近的马里兰州、纽约州和俄亥俄州不同，宾夕法尼亚州不要求毕业时修计算机科学课程，也不提供任何级别的计算机科学证书。此外，没有全国性的CS课程要求，同样缺乏有资格教授CS课程的教师。这些导致了一个难以打破的恶性循环，并导致费城学区在21世纪的计算机教育方面落后于学生。然而，潮流已经开始转变。自2016年以来，宾夕法尼亚州经历了一系列政策变化，于2018年11月宣布了PAsmart倡议，全州范围内的学校和学区都可以获得赠款，用于改善计算机科学和STEM教育。jumpstart费城研究从业者伙伴关系旨在建立在CS4Philly（国家CSforALL联盟的附属机构）和费城STEM生态系统CS工作组的进展和努力的基础上。该项目将为所有费城学生提供符合教育标准的公平、包容和高质量的计算机科学教学，并解决费城高中缺乏获得认证的计算机科学教育者的公平机会的问题。一个公平工作组将研究围绕学校结构和支持社区内部公平的问题，一个学术工作组将研究与增加CS教师接触相关的问题和策略。通过让各机构的利益相关者参与进来，RPP建立了改进和扩大努力的能力，将计算机科学教育带到费城学区的所有学校。jumpstart费城研究从业者伙伴关系旨在为所有费城学生提供符合教育标准的公平，包容和高质量的计算机科学教学，并通过网络改进社区（NIC）解决费城高中缺乏公平获得认证CS教育者的问题。该项目与费城学区（SDP）、高中教师和管理人员、教师协会、社区和非正式教育组织、高中生、家长和研究人员合作，通过以下方式解决这一问题：提供多种认证途径；寻找潜在的计算机科学教育工作者；加强对现有和潜在计算机科学教育者的支持和实践社区；与公共部门利益相关者合作，制定更有效的政策框架，鼓励更多不同的计算机科学教育工作者。NIC指导委员会将致力于制定一个共同的议程，以一种综合的方法来解决系统和制度上的障碍，这些障碍是由经过认证的计算机科学教育者向费城学区的高中生提供高质量、公平和包容的计算机科学教育的。由于组织变革既需要领导人的支持，也需要有权改变政策、教学方法和实践的人的支持，因此公平工作组将通过一系列社区会议，让学区管理人员、高中校长、高中教师、家长、学生、社区组织和提供非正式计算机科学教育机会的非营利组织参与进来。通过让各机构的利益相关者参与进来，RPP建立了改进和扩大变革努力的能力，将计算机科学教育带到费城所有学区的学校。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。

In contrast to its neighbors Maryland, New York, and Ohio, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania does not require a Computer Science course for graduation and has not offered Computer Science certification at any level. Additionally, there is no statewide requirement for CS courses in the curriculum, and likewise a lack of teachers qualified to teach CS courses. These have contributed to a vicious cycle that is difficult to break, and which causes the School District of Philadelphia in particular to lag behind in educating students for computing in the 21st Century. The tide has begun to turn, however. After a suite of policy changes in the state since 2016, Pennsylvania announced the PAsmart initiative in November 2018, with statewide available grants available to schools and school districts for improving computer science and STEM education. The Jumpstarting Philly Researcher Practitioner Partnership aims to build upon this progress and efforts of CS4Philly, an affiliate of the national CSforALL consortium, and the Philadelphia STEM Ecosystem CS Workgroup. The project will bring equitable, inclusive, and high-quality computer science instruction aligned with educational standards to all Philadelphia students, and address the lack of equitable access to certified CS educators in Philadelphia high schools. An Equity Task Force will study issues surrounding equity, both within the school structure and the supporting community, and an Academics Task Force will look at issues and strategies related to increasing access to CS teachers. By engaging stakeholders across institutions, the RPP builds capacity for improvement and scaling of efforts to bring CS education to all schools in the School District of Philadelphia.The Jumpstarting Philly Researcher Practitioner Partnership aims to bring equitable, inclusive, and high-quality computer science instruction aligned with educational standards to all Philadelphia students and address the lack of equitable access to certified CS educators in Philadelphia high schools through a Networked Improvement Community (NIC). This project partners the School District of Philadelphia (SDP), high school teachers and administrators, teacher associations, community and informal education organizations, high school students, parents, and researchers to address this by: offering multiple pathways to certification; identifying a diverse pool of potential CS educators; strengthening support and communities of practice for current and potential CS educators; and working with public sector stakeholders to develop a more effective policy framework that encourages a more diverse pool of CS educators. The NIC Steering Committee will work to develop a common agenda for an integrated approach to address systemic and institutional barriers to offering high-quality, equitable, and inclusive computer science education by certified CS educators to high school students within the School District of Philadelphia. Since organizational change requires both buy-in from leaders and the people empowered to change policy, pedagogies, and practices, the Equity Task Force will engage school district administrators, high school principals, high school teachers, parents, students, community organizations, and non-profits offering informal CS education opportunities, through a series of community meetings. By engaging stakeholders across institutions, the RPP builds capacity for improvement and scaling of change efforts to bring CS education to all School District of Philadelphia schools.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.