Building Capacity to Support Elementary CS Pathways Tailored to Rural Needs in Idaho

初级计算机科学教育对于启动和保持学生对计算的兴趣和积极态度至关重要。五岁的孩子就能理解基本的计算机科学和编程概念，但全国只有四分之一的小学提供计算机科学教学。农村社区通常对计算教育有特定的需求，这些需求与人口较少、经济不景气和大量贫困家庭有关。美国研究所、爱达荷州STEM行动中心和BootUp专业发展之间的这种伙伴关系将支持爱达荷州的农村地区设计一个包容性的K-5计算机科学课程途径。该项目团队将合作深化他们的伙伴关系，同时与来自农村社区的地区和学校一级的合作伙伴，以确定未来的方向，以支持路径。和启动专业发展将开发爱达荷州初级CS协作（IECC），以支持K-爱达荷州学区的5个计算机科学途径。IECC将解决CS途径发展的挑战，特别是低收入农村社区，如资源稀缺和学生中CS相对较低的暴露。项目活动包括促进合作伙伴会议，以建立RPP;在爱达荷州的基础计算机科学的景观审查;和一套CS规划和管理员，教师和家庭的学习机会的发展。这个奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并已被认为是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进行评估的支持。

Elementary computer science education is crucial for initiating and maintaining students’ interest in and positive attitudes toward computing. Children as young as five can understand basic computer science and programming concepts, yet only a quarter of elementary schools across the nation offer computer science instruction. Rural communities often have specific needs around computing education related to smaller populations, depressed economies, and a high number of families living in poverty. This partnership between American Institutes for Research, Idaho STEM Action Center, and BootUp Professional Development will support rural districts in Idaho in the design of an inclusive, K-5 computer science course pathway. The project team will collaborate to deepen their partnership, while engaging with district- and school-level partners from rural communities to define future directions for supporting the pathway.This research-practitioner partnership between American Institutes for Research, Idaho STEM Action Center, and BootUp Professional Development will develop the Idaho Elementary CS Collaborative (IECC) to support the design of K–5 computer science pathways in Idaho school districts. The IECC will address challenges to CS pathway development particular to low-income, rural communities, such as resource scarcity and relatively low exposure to CS among students. Project activities include facilitated partnership meetings to build the RPP; a landscape review of elementary computer science in Idaho; and the development of a set of CS planning and learning opportunities for administrators, teachers, and families.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.