A Clean Slate Approach to High School CS

1. A Clean Slate Approach to High School CS Jan Cuny 9/26/2009

2. Why High School?

3. Why High School? • Things are really bad there. • Without the HS piece, anything we do for middle school will be lost. 3. Without the HS piece, anything we do at the college level will be insufficient.

5. Why focus on AP? • Often the only CS course that carries college prep credit • Attractive to students & schools • 2,000 CB-audited teachers • Single point of national leverage

6. What’s wrong with the current AP course? • Doesn’t appeal to many students (particularly women and minorities)

7. AP test takers (2007) • 14,529 students took AP CS A • 204,564 Calculus AB • 141,321 Bio • 96,282 Statistics • AP CS had the worst gender balance of any of the AP tests • 18.3% CS A • 48.7% Calculus AB • 50.2% Statistics

8. What’s wrong with the current AP course? • Doesn’t appeal to many students (particularly women and minorities) • Inaccessible to students without previous experience • Fails to introduce the fundamental concepts of CT • Doesn’t teach the breadth of application or “magic” of computing

9. Math and Science in U.S. High Schools (NRC, 2002) • AP courses should • Reflect what we know about how students learn • Build students’ transferable, conceptual understanding and inquiry skills • Convey the content and unifying concepts of a discipline • AP courses should not be designed solely to replicate introductory college courses (which are not typically exemplary models)

10. Chemistry, Biology, Physics, and Environmental Science are leading the way. (ESI-0525575)

11. AP Commission Owen Astrachan, Chair Stacey Armstrong Charmaine Bentley Amy Briggs Mark Guzdial Rich Kick Jody Paul Chris Stephenson

12. AP Advisory Group

13. AP GSC’s Big Ideas 95/5% Rule 1. Computing is a creative human activity that engenders innovation, exploration, and the creation of knowledge. 2. Abstraction is the process of reducing information and detail to solve problems. 3. Humans use computer programs to manipulate data and information to facilitate the creation of insight and knowledge.

14. AP GSC’s Big Ideas 95/5% Rule 4. Algorithms are tools for developing and expressing solutions to computational problems and for exploring and creating data. 5. Programming is a tool for computational problem solving and the exploration and creation of knowledge. 6. Computer systems and networks facilitate communication and computational problem solving. 7. Computing engages with other disciplines to drive innovation and define new fields.

15. AP GSC • Engaging, accessible, inspiring, rigorous • Focused on the fundamental concepts of computing (CT) • A target for K-9 course development • An impetus for college curriculum reform • Available nationwide (IB as well)

16. AP GSC • Piloted at the college level 2010 • Piloted at the high school level 2011 • Test available 2015

17. What’s before GSC?

18. Introductory CS • Define a framework • Pick exemplars • Provide materials

19. Exploring Computer Science • LAUSD, Jane Margolis • Piloted ECS 08/09 • Currently in 20 LAUSD schools • Complete, detailed curriculum & lessons plans on CSTA site • “G” credit and CTE credit

20. HS Computing Curriculum • Introductory Computing (for everyone) • GSC • AP CS A (possibly modified)

21. Getting it taught & taught well The new AP course will be coming to a school near you in 2014 …

22. GOAL: Have the new curriculum taught in 10,000 schools by 10,000 well-prepared teachers by 2015.

23. CS / 10,000 Project • Curriculum development • Teacher Preparation • In-service preparation • Pre-service preparation • Ongoing professional development • Entrée into schools

24. In-Service Preparation • Significant training • Coaching & mentoring for novice teachers, e.g. Teacher Residency Programs • Collaborations with other STEM programs e.g. MSP, GK-12 • High quality on-line options (infrastructure, content)

25. Pre-service preparation • Partnerships between CS & Ed Schools (computing methods courses, recruiting) • Traditional and alternative certification: UTEACH,TFA, MFA, Teaching Fellows, Transitions to Teaching (Troops to Teachers) …

26. On-going professional development • CSTA • Something like the National Writing Project • In class assistance: GK-12, SLC-like Computing Corps, Citizen teachers, Faculty (Adopt a Classroom) • Collaborate with math & science teachers’ associations

27. Entrée into the schools • Hardware, Software, Connectivity, & Tech Support • Extended hours & Out of school hours availability • Help with teacher salaries / Stipends • AP Incentives • Maneuver patchwork of state standards, credit issues, certification requirements, etc.

28. Entrée into the schools • Good news: • Lots of school districts REALLY want us.

29. Status • Intro & AP course well underway • Demo sites on teacher training in LA (Margolis) & Atlanta (Ericson) • Discussions with UTEACH, NMSI, MFA • Thought Leaders Meeting 10/20 to design national rollout (Google) • Discussions with possible funders

30. The time is right.

31. Clean slate … but we can’t blow it. We need the computing community to step up.

32. What ACM Ed do? • Publicize the effort • Advocacy • Local schools: computing classes • States: standards, certification, etc. • Universities: • GSC credit • Adding computing to the preferred list of HS courses

33. What can individuals do? • Pilot GSC (university & high schools) • Run summer teacher training programs • Work with your Ed School to get develop preservice computing courses • Use GK-12 or Service Learning courses to get your students into K-12 class rooms • Recruit students to teaching • Work with programs like UTEACH, TFA, MFA, etc.

34. What can individuals do? • Participate in larger projects e.g. MSP, Race to the Top, Innovation Projects • Consider an Expeditions proposal • Promote teaching to your students • Help build the significant public/private partnerships that we will need to commandeer major funding • Help review proposals, etc.

35. Thanks! jcuny@nsf.gov