Collaborative Research: CAFECS: Developing Equitable Computer Science Pathways from High School to College

2020年6月，芝加哥公立学校（CPS）超过14，000名学生毕业时获得了一年的高中计算机科学学分，以满足CPS最近的计算机科学毕业要求。这是芝加哥计算机科学公平联盟（CAFÉCS）十多年工作的高潮，旨在实施探索计算机科学（ECS）课程和伴随的教师专业发展计划。ECS类支持同等的评估结果，无论学生的种族/民族和性别，并同等地增加追求额外的计算机科学课程的兴趣，包括先进的安置课程。该项目建立在这项工作的基础上，通过扩大CPS的早期大学学分计算机科学课程，并让学生参与当地大学的活动，通过计算机科学途径招募和激励他们。该项目以有色人种学生和第一代大学生为重点，为学生通过高中、社区大学和四年制计算机科学途径过渡提供广泛的指导和准备。尽管有证据表明这种高中计算机科学途径对早期大学学分的有效性，但只有大约四分之一的CPS高中提供AP计算机科学，不到10%的学校提供计算机科学双学分课程。此外，关于早期大学学分课程激发兴趣并为计算机科学专业的大学成功提供准备的机制的研究还很少。该项目特别关注有色人种学生，重点是扩大CPS的高中早期大学学分机会，并支持学生在社区大学沿着计算机科学途径取得成功。该项目旨在了解ECS实施的特点，使高中能够成功地引入早期大学学分的机会，如AP和双学分课程，以及现有AP计算机科学专业发展计划在多大程度上充分准备非认可的教师，以实现学生的成果，相当于那些在计算机科学认可的教师所取得的成果。该项目还探索早期大学计算机科学学分机会在多大程度上增加了对该领域的兴趣，从而导致沿着计算机科学途径注册课程，以及社区学院可以减少障碍并增加学生在计算机途径上的成功的潜在机制。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并被认为值得通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准。

In June 2020, more than fourteen thousand students in Chicago Public Schools (CPS) graduated with one year of high school computer science credit in fulfillment of CPS’ recent computer science graduation requirement. This was the culmination of over a decade of work by the Chicago Alliance For Equity in Computer Science (CAFÉCS) to implement the Exploring Computer Science (ECS) curriculum and accompanying teacher professional development program district-wide. The ECS class supports equivalent assessment outcomes regardless of students’ race/ethnicity and gender and equivalently increases interest in pursuing additional computer science coursework, including Advanced Placement courses. This project builds upon this work by expanding early college credit computer science courses in CPS and engaging students in activities at local universities to recruit and inspire them through computer science pathways. With a focus on students of color and first-generation college students, the project is providing extensive mentoring and preparation as students transition through their high school, community college, and four-year institution computer science pathways. Despite the evidence of the efficacy of this high-school computer-science pathway towards early college credit, only about a quarter of CPS high schools offer AP computer science and less than 10% of schools offer computer science dual credit courses. In addition, there is a paucity of research on the mechanisms by which early college credit courses inspire interest and provide preparation for college success in computer science majors. With a specific focus on students of color, this project focuses on the expansion of high-school early college credit opportunities in CPS and supporting students' success along computer science pathways in community colleges. The project aims to understand the characteristics of ECS implementation that enable high schools to successfully introduce early college credit opportunities, such as AP and dual-credit classes and the extent to which existing AP computer science professional development programs adequately prepare non-endorsed teachers to achieve student outcomes that are equivalent to those achieved by teachers who are endorsed in computer science. The project is also exploring the extent to which early college computer science credit opportunities increase interest in the field leading to enrollment in courses along computer science pathways and potential mechanisms in which community colleges can reduce barriers and increase success for students on computing pathways.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.